Management by Cynthia J. Young
July 2026
Stop rewarding firefighting in the workplace
Workplaces have people who step in at the last minute,
fix urgent problems and save the day. Managers often
praise these dramatic recoveries because they are easy to
spot, but this can lead to issues within the team’s culture.
They thrive being seen as the hero, and their manager
inadvertently causes issues with the praise they bestow
since they ignore those who follow procedures and do the
right things right.
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