Michael Ropp helped coin an important term. If you are a highly marketable and skilled tradesperson, a recruiter may come knocking on your door. Employees who are “defensive” won’t even answer the door. When the shields are down, at least be open to hearing what’s on offer.
In a follow-up post offering silk-screened shirts with shielding status as a fundraiser, it said it might not be a good idea to actually wear the shirts to work.
It’s as fascinating as the shield-up phenomenon.
There are good reasons to strengthen your shields. You can save a lot of time on filtering. Job satisfaction increases because you don’t have to constantly compare today’s reality to a perfect tomorrow imagined somewhere else. You will also have better relationships with your colleagues, as mutual commitment leads to trust.
And there are good reasons to put down your shields. You owe tomorrow. You need to utilize it in the best way possible. We often let resistance hold us back without really considering what is possible.
Would you like to share your status?
Tom Peters wrote about a leader who conducted resume sessions for his employees. Skeptics asked why on earth we would encourage teams to understand and demonstrate their value in the job market. He pointed out that if the alternative is to work with those who believe they are stuck in the status quo, it is better to work with those who want to stay.
There has been long-standing tension between factory owners and workers. Factory owners want to receive maximum labor in exchange for minimum compensation. Workers often respond by taking defensive measures to avoid being disrespected by their bosses.
Employee loyalty was invented by bosses, not employees.
I’m worried that if I put on my shirt with my shield up, my boss will ask for more. And if you wear a shield-down shirt, your boss will stop trusting you and start plotting to replace you.
There’s probably an alternative:
Bosses should all act as if their shields are down. You need to re-earn engagement and loyalty every day by providing respect, importance, and interesting opportunities.
And employees can act like they have a shield just because it’s a powerful way to spend the day in flow. You can always change your mind tomorrow.