How to Identify Squeaky Wheels on Your Team

When you have a squeaky wheel on your team, your biggest challenge as a leader is going to be pulling back on the investment you’re making in them.

One type of high-cost producer you might deal with is a squeaky wheel. They’re in the upper left corner of the Leadership Matrix because they deliver great results, but they take up a lot of your time and energy.

Squeaky wheels are very effective at getting their work done. They just consume a lot of a leader’s time in the process of completing their work. Many times they’re consuming this energy because of their own lack of confidence. They come to their leader frequently with questions they can answer for themselves. They go to the leader for decisions that they’re capable of making on their own. They drive great results, but they demand a lot of leadership capital because of their constant interruptions or because they’re outsourcing decisions to their leader.

Here are some easy ways to spot a squeaky wheel. First, they have strong skills and they produce great results, but they can seem to lack confidence. A lot of times they’re asking for help too frequently. They may come to you for permission on a decision that they can make. They may make decisions and ask for your affirmation of the choice they made. They frequently drop by or send you emails or requests for immediate help. They seek out a lot of time with you in terms of meetings or other interactions.

I had one squeaky wheel on my team who I loved to work with. He was high-energy and drove awesome results. He was also in my office all the time. He was always popping by and saying, “Hey, boss man, I have a question for you.” And I’d let him in and I’d talk to him because he was seeking my advice and guidance, which felt good for me. But I didn’t realize I was making an investment of time and energy that I shouldn’t have been making.

When you have a squeaky wheel on your team, your biggest challenge as a leader is going to be pulling back on the investment you’re making in them.

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