Every company I’ve ever worked at had a shit magnet, The Shit Magnet is a person that seems to know enough about everything that all the dirty work (Shit work) gets piled on their plate. The Shit Magnet typically gets more done in less time than anyone else at nearly all the work that gets piled on his plate. They’re not just a rockstar employee, they’re Freddie Mercury playing at Live Aid Rockstar. And they do it day in, day out. When the stakes are high and you need your best person on it, you tap the Shit Magnet. The Shit Magnet tends to love this role. She doesn’t notice how the shit piling up on her plate becomes too much to handle… until she does… And then you’ve got a big problem.
The paradox of the Shit Magnet is that being a Shit Magnet simultaneously stimulates and destroys the person. On one hand they are an indispensable and valuable team member. On the other hand, they have more work than they could possibly do, and see no way out of it. That’s why it’s extremely common for Shit Magnets to burn out.
But burnout is not the only option. There is hope and a path forward for these brave souls. This body of work is my attempt to describe the phenomenon of the Shit Magnet and how we might avoid the burnout and rage-quitting that is a common end to a Shit Magnet’s job.
Traits of the Shit Magnet
The Shit Magnet may work nights and weekends for extended periods of time. The Shit Magnet typically loves their job, and they’re devoted to the people around them. They love being able to help people out. They love the thrill of solving a tough problem and making someone’s day a little better. Many times they love being at the center of the work that keeps the company alive and thriving.
The Shit Magnet is so effective that they seem to single-handedly make the company or department go.
The Shit Magnet operates at 110% of capacity for long periods of time. And this is ultimately the problem of the Shit Magnet. At some point, they will meet one or more forms of irresistible resistance to their status quo.
Why it’s a problem
Fundamentally, you can’t build and grow a successful business on the backs of Shit Magnets.
- The Shit Magnet is a crutch
- The Shit Magnet becomes vital to the business
- If the business is growing, it will outgrow the shit magnet
- The Shit Magnet will burn out
- The Shit magnet is resistant to change
- The Shit Magnet is not equipped to get themselves out of being a Shit Magnet
Shit Magnets are typically not great at building out repeatable processes for the shit work that they accumulate. They lack the vision, desire or ability to scale their work. This can be driven by a number of things.
- Lack of knowledge (I don’t know How)
- Fixed Mindset (It can’t be done)
- Fear of Automation (I’ll lose my job)
- Ego (Who am I without my pile of poo?)
- Unconscious (I don’t know I’m drowning in poop)
So why is the Shit Magnet so easy to create?
Shit Magnets start out as smart, helpful employees who are willing to take on new work, learn and grow their skillset to help move the company forward. For a busy manager or entrepreneur, being able to dump work off onto a trusted worker is a godsend. Over time, the manager will depend on the Shit Magnet more and more, until the point where they do it unconsciously.
Eventually Shit Magnets are so relied on, they become taken for granted, or effectively ignored by management. What’s worse, they’re often rewarded by managers for the great lengths they go to to help the company succeed. They’re given employee of the month, spot bonuses, pay increases or promotions. They’re held up as an example of what employees ought to strive for.
A busy executive or manager may know intellectually that the Shit Magnet isn’t working efficiently, but the Shit Magnet gets shit done, and there are typically so many other fires to be put out that the Shit Magnet issues are ignored, or rather, deprioritized behind the stuff that’s on fire.
Inevitably, disillusionment will settle in for the Shit Magnet.
- They feel under-appreciated
- They feel under-valued
- They see other (less-able) employees being rewarded before them
- They simply get too much work and don’t know how to ask for help
Why does this sound so familiar to an executive or entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurs who grow their business find themselves in the same pickle as Shit Magnets: the business is entirely dependent on their superhuman efforts. Just as the entrepreneur needs to evolve and build sustainable business processes, so does the Shit Magnet. It’s entirely possible a Shit Magnet prefers to live in the state of Shit-Magnetry. But I believe the vast majority of Shit Magnets do not want to be that way. They want to do new things, learn new things, and grow as a professional and a person.
For those that want to remain a Shit Magnet, they either need to go, or they need to be put into a situation where being a Shit Magnet is their highest and best value to the company.
I’m a leader, so what can I do about a Shit Magnet?
The most important thing to remember is that you helped create the Shit Magnet. You’re partially to blame for her existence because you either encouraged it, or you let it happen. And the truth is, businesses need Shit Magnets from time to time! They need people who are willing to knuckle down, figure shit out, get shit done and then do it all over again. But allowing a Shit Magnet to remain a Shit Magnet forever without addressing negative impacts to the business is a recipe for disaster.
There are really only two options to deal with a Shit Magnet.
1. Do Nothing, they’re a rockstar, let them Rock On
2. Help them become something even more valuable
Option 1 can be sustainable, as long as the business doesn’t need the Shit Magnet to grow and evolve and the Shit Magnet doesn’t burn out. If a business isn’t growing or evolving, it’s probably not going to be around very long. Plenty of businesses stay relatively constant, and a Shit Magnets can thrive for years or even decades doing basically the same work day in, day out. Eventually the Shit Magnet is going to leave, either through looking for a new job, retirement, or death. So if you decide Option 1 is your path, you’re going to need to figure out how to replace your precious Shit Magnet eventually.
The 2rd option is what we should be talking about. Shit Magnets have the ability to be key leaders in your organization. In fact, they already are leaders. But they’re not leading in the most effective way.
Next up: Case Studies in my Shit Magnet Hall of Fame