I used to tell professionals that as their coach I was there to help them remove their office dysfunction and drama so they can focus on their day jobs. But then I realized that those difficulties are the job.

“Can you make it so I don’t have to manage people?” this one high-performing president of a company once asked me. Well-intentioned and focused on productivity, he just wanted people to do what they were hired to accomplish. He didn’t want to deal with the problems they were having with each other, the envy and resentment they presented, their conflicts, and complaining. As president, he felt he had elevated high enough above those trivial issues and had bigger concerns like answering to shareholders and making sure the griping employees got their pay checks.

Ironically, when I met with the company’s directors and managers, they too wanted the people problems and team conflicts to go away, so they could focus on “what really mattered.” Unsurprisingly, the conversations I had with their direct reports yielded similar sentiments. They wanted to be able to focus on their projects and tasks rather than dealing with the distracting pressures and problems posed by their managers daily.

This cyclical situation led me to the paradigm-shifting realization that all those pesky problems people wanted to move aside so they could focus on their ‘real’ roles were missing from everyone’s job descriptions. The goals, tasks, projects, plans, and deals they focused on tackling didn’t include the trust, camaraderie, connection, and respect that would ensure their success. The performance indicators they envisioned didn’t build in the personnel intentions that would empower the achievement of those goals.

Now, when people ask me if I can help them remove management problems, I answer that I will show them how to shift their perspective to prioritize their people skills. When they include these “soft” skills in their job description, they’re proactive about preempting and resolving the harder issues that once got in their way.

Lee Broekman is a communication coach, trainer, and speaker with a mission to make the world a better place, one communicator at a time. Her company, Organic Communication, works with high level leaders and trains decision makers in top organizations to communicate, collaborate, and innovate, naturally and effectively. Lee is the author of Stop Blocking, Start Connecting; her book – Elevate Conversations, Deepen Connection: Tools for Even Better Communication – is forthcoming in January, 2026.