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“Swoop and poop" is one of the most popular Left-Hand Column issues to date. One year later, this topic continues to bubble up regularly in my executive clients’ coaching sessions.

It's especially relevant right now. During this "back-to-business" season, as teams dive into annual planning and companies hit peak productivity, pushing big initiatives before year-end, the temptation to jump in and "help" is at an all-time high. 

If you missed this issue the first time around—or if you need a refresher—here are the insights (plus a few new ones) to help you navigate this busy season without becoming the bottleneck.

Picture This

A peaceful day at the beach. The sun is shining, the waves are gently lapping at the shore, and you're about to bite into your perfectly crafted sandwich (or sardine?). 

Suddenly, a seagull swoops down, snatches your lunch, and leaves an unpleasant "gift" on your beach towel as it flies off.

This aggravating avian behavior is the namesake of what I refer to as "swoop-and-poop" management. 

I've experienced this countless times: an influential executive swoops in at the eleventh hour with an offhand comment—or starts micromanaging—throwing everyone for a loop and setting us on a different, time-intensive path.

While the term became a lighthearted way for my team and me to cope with the situation, seagull leadership can be incredibly detrimental. Even the best of intentions can pave the way for chaos and shattered morale.

The antidote? A powerful combination of awareness and perspective-taking. 

POV: You're the Swooper/Pooper 😬

If you’re a parent (or have ever met a child), you probably understand the daily struggle of getting kids out the door on time. For one CEO client, the battle is getting her child to put the right shoe on the right foot. It’s easy to understand the urge to just wrestle those little feet in herself, but taking things into her own hands inevitably results in a meltdown that ruins everyone’s morning and leads to a repeat the next morning.  

As leaders, you likely know how to get the job done, which makes it tempting to dive in and "fix" things—sharing your opinion or rolling up your sleeves to help.

But here's the thing: just like with parenting, sometimes it's better to let your team put their shoes on the wrong feet, so to speak. It might take longer and cause some discomfort, but they'll either eventually figure it out or be more receptive to your input. And when they do, they'll be much more likely to put on the right shoe by themselves next time.

Swooping in may get them to the right outcome faster, but at what cost? It may mean losing sight of the bigger picture—the relationships, the motivation, and the growth of your team. 

If you have the urge to be a seagull leader, try this instead: 

• Reflect: Pinpoint the reason you feel the need to swoop in. Is there a knowledge gap that wasn’t clear until the work began unfolding? Are you feeling left out and anxious about being out of sync with the team? Dig deep, then address the root cause. 

• Schedule the swoops: Be clear from the start about what you want updates on and when. Expected check-ins and reporting can prevent last-minute interventions.

• Focus on getting to Z: One of my favorite executives likened micromanagement to wanting to go alphabetically, letter by letter, to get to Z. It's okay if some people take a different path, as long as they reach the key milestones like K, Q, and W. The ultimate goal is to get to Z, not to follow a rigid sequence.

“But Jess! My swoop and poop was JUSTIFIED!”

I'll be the first to admit that there are times when an executive needs to swoop in at the last minute and save the day. Every company will face moments when the stakes are too high, or a project has veered dramatically off course, and the cost of swooping in is worth it.

In this case, what we’re after is a more collaborative approach that minimizes the damage: 

• Join forces: Use language that puts you and your team on the same side.

  • “I know we both care about accomplishing goal X and want to get there as fast as possible.”

• Be 100% clear: Ambiguous statements require a ton of energy to interpret and execute on. They will inevitably aggravate the team and divert the mission. Make sure they can pick up exactly what you’re putting down, and they don’t walk away with a sticky mess of an interpretation. 

• Acknowledge trade-offs: Recognize team efforts genuinely and focus the team on the impact of the 11th-hour shift.

  • “I appreciate your hard work, and I recognize this shift will require further efforts. I believe the potential reward—a 3x increase in revenue—makes this change worthwhile.”

POV: Your Team Relies On Your Swooping 🦅 

Sometimes, swooping in becomes a reflexive reaction to a team that's grown over-reliant on you as the leader. They've been conditioned to bring problems to your desk and wait for you to fix them, rather than stepping up with solutions themselves.

To redirect an over-dependent team toward self-reliance, stop solving their problems for them. When your team brings you issues, resist the urge to immediately offer solutions.

Instead, try responding with one of these questions:

1. "What have you tried so far?"

2. "What options are you considering?"

3. "What do you recommend?"

4. "What's your next step?" 

5. "When will you update me?"

The first week will feel brutal. Your team will probably stand there, waiting for you to solve things like always. But by week two, they'll start bringing solutions, not just problems. By week three, you'll have reclaimed hours of your time, and your team will be making real decisions.

Ultimately, your team doesn't need you to solve their problems; they need you to believe that they can solve them.

POV: You're the One Being Pooped On 💩

Being on the receiving end of seagull leadership can be frustrating and overwhelming. It’s a natural and understandable reaction, but letting those emotions fester can exacerbate an already stressful situation.

In her book, Good Inside, clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy encourages a powerful practice: assuming the “most generous interpretation” (MGI). This means assuming that people's behavior stems from good intentions, rather than malice or neglect.

When dealing with swoop-and-poop feedback, focusing on the MGI clears the way for effective communication and fosters a more productive work environment. Here’s what that might look and sound like:   

• Seek to understand: Find out what they're optimizing for or trying to solve for.

  • “Thank you for your input. Could you help me understand the specific concerns that led to these suggestions?” 

  • “Your input is valuable. How would you prioritize these suggestions in terms of impact on our key objectives?”

• Set expectations: For a larger initiative, I recommend mapping out ahead of time what input is welcomed from the leader at key points:  

  • At the 1% mark, it’s just the beginning—so gathering lots of input, including sweeping alternatives, is welcomed. Side note: This is also when to best align goals and expectations for the rest of the project. 

  • At the 50% mark, the main idea is very unlikely to change, but changing course might still be on the menu. 

  • At the 99% mark, the team is dotting i’s and crossing t’s, so feedback should correspond to smaller polishing or finishing elements. 

• Be proactive: Consider setting up a regular update meeting, recurring report, or dashboard that includes the information the manager wants to minimize their need to swoop in. 

• Get down to the to-dos: Focus on extracting useful and actionable information

  • "That's an interesting point. Could you share an example to help me/us conceptualize this?"

  • "I'd like to ensure we address your concerns effectively. Can we schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss these points in more detail?"

  • "Thank you for bringing this up. To help me implement your suggestions effectively, could you provide more specific guidance on [particular point]?"

• Embrace the poop: Some messes are unavoidable, so prime yourself and your team for a few turds to come your way; have a plan to flush away the distractions and confusion and move forward with key learnings and a refreshed perspective.

Learning to resist the swoop-and-poop is like breaking any bad habit—it takes time, practice, and plenty of self-compassion.

You'll catch yourself mid-swoop more than once, and that's perfectly normal. The first step is awareness. Each time you notice the impulse and choose a different response, that’s progress.

Be patient with yourself.

Keep reading, keep leading,

Jess

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jessyuen.com

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