Working Environment: How to identify the “LLPP – Limited Liability Private Person”: 8 tips
Either you are running a business or you are working in one, you deal with people, many people. Colleagues, partners, clients are part of your life, you usually meet them more than you meet your own family. In order for you to deliver the results you are expected, no matter what your function is in the company, you have to collaborate with the others and choose good colleagues to share a task / responsibility. One of the biggest issues you will be challenged with is to get blocked by a “LLPP – Limited Liability Private Person”. They are all around us, ready to destroy the best projects with the ideal planning, just because simply they don’t care. But how do we recognize an LLPP? Let us check 8 tips that can help us identify them and ideally avoid them from our professional life:
1. There are 3 types of LLPP: The “average looking”, the “happy / smiling” and “the grumpy” one
Don’t think that you can easily trace a LLPP. There many different categories, some of them can trick even the most experienced manager. More or less, they are summarized in 3:
- The average looking. They dress / speak / act like an average person, trying hard not to look “different”. The idea is to convince you that they are “focused on their job” while they simply want a peaceful life…
- The happy / smiling. They seem to be good guys and you get the impression that they have positive vibes and energy to share. No, they just act like this, in order for you to feel sorry and to think twice before you ask them “why didn’t you do anything from what we agreed to?”
- The grumpy ones. They are “upset” about everything / all the time / no matter what is the reason and the situation. Like this they try to be “left in their problems” and not to be “further disturbed” with stressful things like tasks to deliver etc.
2. They always have a problem for every solution
No matter what you suggest / propose / think so as to resolve a situation, they will always appear immediately with a problem. “We cannot do this, because of that”. “That” may be the bad weather, a new bureaucratical issue or anything that may block the solution of the problem.
3. They don’t understand. Even after explaining the same thing for 1.722 times
It does not matter what you say or how many times. If you explain it less than 1.000 times, “you are not communicative enough”, if you do so “you are way too insisting and you don’t respect his / her personality”. But the problem is not just that they don’t understand…
4. They rarely / never ask questions before
Either they understood or not, they simply never “disturb” / are impolite. They take the task and either don’t do it at all (still thinking of it) or they do it wrong, in a completely different direction from what you explained / agreed.
5. They don’t really care for what you told them. They will do what they think it is right
They receive a task, but they don’t ask questions. You got the impression that they got it and they will deliver correctly. In case they deliver, you simply receive something completely different from what you agreed. This is because a genuine LLPP does not really care for what you asked. Who are you after all? He / she will deliver what she wants to, if and when he / she wants to.
6. When caught wrong, they usually reply with silence
When you raise the question “so why didn’t you ask?”, they usually come up with a “lovely” excuse, or simply don’t talk / don’t look at you / wait for the storm to pass. An experienced LLPP may look at a wall / desk for more than half an hour. Legendary LLPPs are reported to have done it for more than an hour, if their manager was patient enough, asking for a serious answer.
7. No stress. Makes people live less
There are periods in business that there is real stress and the company / team has to deliver what was promised. This does not apply for the LLPP. “I will not die at / for work” is the answer when he / she simply does not care. (But if he will be excluded from the team’s bonus once the task is delivered with success, he will be searching for legal solutions to protect his / her rights)
8. A tank of excuses is installed under his / her tongue
LLPP is someone who is determined not to work, not to deliver, not to get stressed, not to care. This is why nature gifted this person with a unique advantage: There is an installation of a tank under his tongue. This is a fully equipped device, with an endless number of excuses, ready to be used immediately after a colleague / manager asks for an explanation, wants to know why the LLPP simply ignored him etc.
And you cannot fight with advanced technology, the LLPP will never admit that he is wrong, the excuse is always stronger than the mistake and in their mind it justifies it completely.
500 Euro / month or 5.000 Euro / month: The same motivation
Limited Liability Private Persons are not bad people. Usually they are nice to be friends for a chat, ideal to create a relaxing atmosphere etc. Probably their character and / or education transformed them into personalities who don’t really care, who are indifferent towards almost everything. They should not be confused with artists, people with different interests etc., the ones who try at work, just that they don’t succeed in all, or with people who simply are not made for this job and they can be great in a different one.
LLPP is convinced that he should not work hard, so even if he will be motivated by someone to do so, his DNA will fight back avoiding the danger to become a trustworthy responsible person. So a higher salary doesn’t help. He will work the same, either he gets 500 Euro / month or 5.000 Euro / month (maybe he will work less in the second scenario).
Recognizing a LLPP is the first step for you so as to avoid implications with him. Once you have him “face to face”, you will choose how to act and defend your position. Or you may be attracted by his “special” style of approaching professional work and accept him as he is.
What is your opinion?