Looking For Spark Plugs

Recently I heard someone use the phrase, “that’s below his pay grade.” The little voice in my head interrupted with, "what?" Picture a deer grazing in an open field interupted by an unatural sound, head up, "what did I just hear?" The phrase came up in response to queries as to why an organization head was unaware, or hadn't responded to, or worked on, a particular challenge or issue. Granted this was in reference to a bureaucratic environment where a statement like this is probably not out of the ordinary.

I won’t mince words here. I hate that phrase. Not only because it smacks of elitism, but also because it is really just a way of passing the buck. Rather than creating accountability, it shirks responsibility. And in our work, that style of management does nothing to better the lives of those we serve.

I do not hear that phrase used at Imagine!, and that makes me very happy. Supervisors here accept and acknowledge that nothing is beneath their pay grade. This doesn’t mean that a supervisor or manager will be the one to do the work required to address the issue or challenge, but they are willing to delegate authority, assign responsibility, and take an active role in making sure the issue is addressed.

Even more impressive, what I see at Imagine! all the time is people going above their pay grade. The history of this organization (which I hope you are learning about through our “50 Years, 50 Stories” series) is a history of people stepping up, taking on challenges even if those challenges aren’t part of his or her “official” duties, and addressing needs in creative ways. In the past few years, we’ve been able to attract an especially high caliber of employee. Many employees on the front lines and in middle management positions have acted as spark plugs at Imagine!, igniting the fuel and creating the combustion needed to keep us moving forward.

Many of these spark plug employees will be the people driving Imagine! in a few years, and I am confident that they will continue our tradition of innovation and leadership in the field.

Then again, what do I know?