A company manufacturers medical products with both hazardous and non-hazardous elements. Products failing inspection that can't be reworked ended up as scrap. Scrap products containing hazardous components ended up in the hazardous waste stream. As you probably know, hazardous waste disposal costs are significantly greater than non-hazardous waste disposal costs.
A supervisor examined the hazardous waste scrap and found many products that could be disassembled quickly so hazardous components could be separated from the non-hazardous components. Indeed, since the products were scrap, rough disassembly methods such as break off and chop off could be used where applicable.
With very little labor, she reduced the on-hand hazardous waste to one-third, with the remaining two-thirds of the material moved to non-hazardous waste which in turn could be disposed of at substantially reduced cost.
About this post: Dan Pelley's Certificate in Supervisory Management programs include homework assignments so participants can apply what they learned directly to their jobs. The idea shared in this post originated in a homework answer submitted by a participant in Proactive Leadership.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Last One Out
Here's a great idea I learned from a company in the communications industry. Customers rent equipment maintained by the company as part of the rental agreement. When a technician goes out on a service call their first priority is to diagnose and fix the problem that prompted the service call.
When the original problem is fixed, and before the technician leaves, there's a second priority. The technician reviews the installation to see if there are other issues needing attention. Perhaps something was overlooked at installation. While not affecting current performance it may become troublesome in the future. Or perhaps it's an older piece of equipment that needs an upgrade. Or maybe it's a filter or some other consumable that will need replacement in the near future.
If time permits and the necessary parts are in the technician's vehicle, the improvements, repairs, changes or upgrades are made before the technician leaves. If the work cannot be performed now, the technician schedules a callback with the customer before leaving.
In essence, the last technician coming out of a customer site is always responsible for ensuring that the customer's equipment is up to standard before leaving, or that the customer is scheduled to be brought up to standard. This increases equipment reliability which results in greater customer satisfaction while eliminating the expense associated with emergency calls for equipment breakdowns.
About me: Dan Pelley teaches problem solving and continuous improvement techniques including predictive and preventive maintenance as part of his "Proactive Leadership" program for supervisors and other first line managers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Making Hazardous Waste Benign
A manufacturing process resulted in a hazardous waste byproduct which resulted in significant disposal costs. A process engineer was determined to reduce that cost. After several experiments, he found that adding certain chemicals in an additional processing step would render the byproduct benign. The byproduct could then be processed as non-hazardous waste at substantially reduced costs.
During a review of the proposed new process, the environmental officer flatly stated that EPA would not accept the new process. He contended that once material was considered hazardous it would always have to be treated as hazardous, even if the hazard were removed. The new process was rejected.
The process engineer could not believe the logic. The material was chemically changed. It was laboratory proven to be a different material. It simply wasn't the same. In essence, he had done what a waste water treatment plant does when it takes unclean water (hazardous) and processes it into drinkable water (non-hazardous). He contacted the local EPA office to make his case. Unfortunately they were set in their ways. They contended, as did the company environmental officer, that material once hazardous must always be treated as hazardous. They also made sure the process engineer understood they would be checking more frequently to make sure the byproduct material was disposed of properly by a licensed hazardous waste facility.
Undaunted, the engineer appealed this ruling all the way to Washington. Presenting a solid case loaded with factual evidence including independent lab tests, he won approval for his revised process. The resulting benign byproduct would be approved for disposal in the non-hazardous waste stream at significant savings to the company.
Some times in problem solving and continuous improvement efforts we run into roadblockers, negative thinkers, nay-sayers, and rigid thinkers. But if our proposed change has merits supported by substantial facts with benefits clearly calculated and spelled out, then the proactive manager is well advised to try every possible avenue to get the idea approved.
About me: Dan Pelley offers programs in proactive leadership, problem solving and continuous improvement in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. His team based problem solving program typically produces money-saving ideas that offset program costs many times over.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
During a review of the proposed new process, the environmental officer flatly stated that EPA would not accept the new process. He contended that once material was considered hazardous it would always have to be treated as hazardous, even if the hazard were removed. The new process was rejected.
The process engineer could not believe the logic. The material was chemically changed. It was laboratory proven to be a different material. It simply wasn't the same. In essence, he had done what a waste water treatment plant does when it takes unclean water (hazardous) and processes it into drinkable water (non-hazardous). He contacted the local EPA office to make his case. Unfortunately they were set in their ways. They contended, as did the company environmental officer, that material once hazardous must always be treated as hazardous. They also made sure the process engineer understood they would be checking more frequently to make sure the byproduct material was disposed of properly by a licensed hazardous waste facility.
Undaunted, the engineer appealed this ruling all the way to Washington. Presenting a solid case loaded with factual evidence including independent lab tests, he won approval for his revised process. The resulting benign byproduct would be approved for disposal in the non-hazardous waste stream at significant savings to the company.
Some times in problem solving and continuous improvement efforts we run into roadblockers, negative thinkers, nay-sayers, and rigid thinkers. But if our proposed change has merits supported by substantial facts with benefits clearly calculated and spelled out, then the proactive manager is well advised to try every possible avenue to get the idea approved.
About me: Dan Pelley offers programs in proactive leadership, problem solving and continuous improvement in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. His team based problem solving program typically produces money-saving ideas that offset program costs many times over.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Do Me a Favor - Safety
My first job right out of high school was as a machine operator in a machine shop. I hated wearing my safety glasses and often removed them. Like many other employees, I would be on the lookout for the boss so I could put on my safety glasses before he could see I wasn't wearing them. They were uncomfortable, got dirty easily and once nearly caused me to have some eye damage when a string of metal coming off of an engine lathe wrapped around the glasses and ended up poking me right under the eye. Of course I always mentioned that one incident when my boss scolded me for not wearing the safety glasses. After each scolding I would consistently wear my safety glasses -- -- at least for a little while.
My boss lived in our neighborhood and knew my family for about five years. Indeed that's how I got the job. His company was looking for machine operator trainees and I was right out of high school looking for work. It was a good company and I liked the job. I just didn't like the safety glasses. But he finally found a way to get me to wear my safety glasses voluntarily and permanently.
One day he caught me not wearing my glasses again. Looking at me right in the eye and talking to me in a quiet voice, he said: "Do me a favor. I don't ever want to tell your mother and father that you lost an eye because you weren't wearing your safety glasses. I've been friends with your parents for a long time, and having to tell them something like that would bother me greatly. Please do me that favor and wear your safety glasses. For me." I never took the safety glasses off again.
The technique he used is called moral suasion. It's the idea of convincing someone to do something right, not because you have power and control over them, but because what you say makes sense and the listener respects you as a leader. And that last part is the key to moral suasion. The more a person looks to someone as a leader, the more a person admires and respects the person providing the moral lesson, the greater the chance the listener will be persuaded.
About Pelleyblog: Pelley blog includes daily posts of topics of interest to supervisors and other first-line managers in the New England area, although managers at all levels and from all locations are welcome as readers and are encouraged to join us through comments and the submission of issues and articles of interest.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Do Me a Favor - Discipline
Our managing people class discussed a situation where an employee had a short but heated argument with someone outside of work. The employee didn't know the other person, it was just one of those things that sometimes happens when two people cross paths. Unfortunately, at the time, the employee was wearing a shirt with his name on it as well as the name of the company.
As it turned out, the other person was on the Company's Board of Directors. The person called the company president and complained in no uncertain terms. The company president figured out who the employee was and told employee's supervisor how the situation made the company look bad in the eyes of the Director. The company president asked the supervisor to take care of it.
In the absence of a company policy regarding shirts, jackets, hats, uniforms or other wearing apparel and/or a company policy regarding the conduct of employees outside of work, the task facing that supervisor becomes difficult indeed. The employee was on their. He or she didn't violate any company rule. The company has no real control over how employees conduct themselves outside of work. The supervisor would be hard-pressed to subject the employee to any disciplinary action. What can the supervisor do?
The answer lies in moral suasion. The supervisor is best advised to talk with the employee along the lines of: "Do me a favor. If you're going to wear our colors outside of work, I would appreciate it if you were careful about what you say and do, especially when your conduct might reflect poorly on the company. Sometimes, as you've just learned, some people will look at you as representing the company when you are wearing our colors. I sure would appreciate it if you were more careful of your conduct so we can avoid a similar situation in the future."
The effectiveness of moral suasion will depend on the how the employee sees their relationship to the company, and more importantly to their boss. If the employee looks up to their boss as a leader, admires and respects their boss, and values his or her relationship with the boss, the greater the chance the employee will be persuaded to do the right thing in the future.
About me: Dan Pelley teaches Managing People, a 16-hour program concerned with the topics of motivating people, developing positive attitudes, being more effective in getting the best out of each unique employee, and handling people problems. The program is offered to companies as an on-site program, and it is also offered on an open enrollment basis in Danielson, CT and Lincoln, RI.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Passed Over For Promotion
Jay and Norman came to work in the same company in the same department at about the same time. They developed a great relationship as coworkers and soon extended their relationship to outside of work activities with their families; they were very good friends.
When the department needed a new supervisor, Both Jay and Norman were considered for the position. Both had good qualifications and their seniority was nearly identical. After much thought their manager selected Jay for the position. Immediately after meeting with Jay to tell him that he would be the new supervisor, the manager met with Norman to explain the decision and to tell Norman that he would be considered for future promotion.
Right after that, Jay reached out to his friend Norman to let them know he hoped nothing would change between them. He told Norman how he valued his work and his friendship and looked forward to continuing their good working relationship and their friendship. Norman responded positively but not enthusiastically and Jay could see that Norman was troubled by the decision.
When the department needed a new supervisor, Both Jay and Norman were considered for the position. Both had good qualifications and their seniority was nearly identical. After much thought their manager selected Jay for the position. Immediately after meeting with Jay to tell him that he would be the new supervisor, the manager met with Norman to explain the decision and to tell Norman that he would be considered for future promotion.
Right after that, Jay reached out to his friend Norman to let them know he hoped nothing would change between them. He told Norman how he valued his work and his friendship and looked forward to continuing their good working relationship and their friendship. Norman responded positively but not enthusiastically and Jay could see that Norman was troubled by the decision.
In the weeks to follow Jay made every effort to continue the friendship, to not act like a boss any more than he had to, to include Norman in many of the management decisions that Jay made, and to continue to praise Norman's work and value to the department. Norman on the other hand was becoming more cold and aloof to Jay. He found excuses not to have lunch with Jay. The families didn't get together anymore.
Norman hoped that, by paying special attention, Jay would eventually come around. But after several months went by with Norman putting more and more effort into the relationship and Jay becoming more cold, distant and withdrawn from Jay, things had to change.
Finally Jay decided to take a more drastic step. Meeting with Norman in a private conference room, Jay began the meeting by stating he understood that Norman might be upset and unhappy that he didn't get the promotion. Jay went on to remind Norman that since that promotion he had made every effort to reach out to Jay, to include Jay, to minimize being a boss to Jay, and to try his best to maintain their working relationship and their friendship under their new boss-employee relationship. Jay then went on to express his unhappiness that, after all these months, Norman continued to be unfriendly and withdrawn.
The meeting ended with Jay looking Norman right in the eye and telling him: "I'm sorry you didn't get the promotion. But I can't tell you that I'm sorry that I did. But I can tell you that I've had enough. After nearly 6 months it's time to tell you 'get over it.'"
That was the turning point. Jay started to be a bit more of a boss to Norman and soon found Norman's attitude changing, the work rapport improving, and some of the friendship being restored.
About Pelleyblog. This blog covers topics of interest to managers, particularly those at the first-line supervisor level. Topics include handling difficult employees, leadership, counseling, coaching, problem solving, lean thinking, motivation and time management. We welcome your comments on this post.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Stay Late or Delegate
There's an old saying in management: "Stay late or delegate."
How true that is. And interesting how many managers avoid delegation. That avoidance may be for many reasons, but the most common is "I can do it faster and better."
What these managers fail to realize is they can do it faster and with fewer errors because they have experience. I'll bet when they were learning the task they weren't so fast and they made more errors.
"But I don't have time Dan." Then find time, because one of the duties of a manager is to train and develop subordinates. Look at the training time as an investment that will payoff quickly. After just one or two training sessions, you can start to reduce the training time commitment. Before you know it, the delegate will be up to speed and accuracy. The training time will cease. You'll now enjoy the time savings.
For example, if you spend 2 hours training a delegate in a job that takes you 15 minutes (with your daily training time investment ranging from 30 minutes at the beginning to 5 minutes near the end), you'll recover those hours in just 8 days!
About me: Dan Pelley teaches time management as part of his "Managing for Results" program, one of five programs leading to a Certificate in Supervisory Management. 137 companies in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York have one or more people who earned this certificate.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
How true that is. And interesting how many managers avoid delegation. That avoidance may be for many reasons, but the most common is "I can do it faster and better."
What these managers fail to realize is they can do it faster and with fewer errors because they have experience. I'll bet when they were learning the task they weren't so fast and they made more errors.
"But I don't have time Dan." Then find time, because one of the duties of a manager is to train and develop subordinates. Look at the training time as an investment that will payoff quickly. After just one or two training sessions, you can start to reduce the training time commitment. Before you know it, the delegate will be up to speed and accuracy. The training time will cease. You'll now enjoy the time savings.
For example, if you spend 2 hours training a delegate in a job that takes you 15 minutes (with your daily training time investment ranging from 30 minutes at the beginning to 5 minutes near the end), you'll recover those hours in just 8 days!
About me: Dan Pelley teaches time management as part of his "Managing for Results" program, one of five programs leading to a Certificate in Supervisory Management. 137 companies in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York have one or more people who earned this certificate.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Show Me the Money
"Show me the money Dan. Show me the money and I'll show you what I can do." I sometimes hear that from non-management people attending our supervision programs paid for by their company. Of course they never say it in public, just at break or after class when no one else is around. In their minds they think they have lots of talent. They just hold back on using it because they don't believe they get paid enough.
How very sad for them. They fail to appreciate that their company has chosen to invest in their education, presumably in the hopes of a opportunity for that person in the future. Instead that person discounts the opportunity by holding back, believing that if they were paid more they'd be more interested in showing their company what they are really capable of doing.
The fact is that successful companies pay for performance. And people who want to get ahead in those companies know enough to put forth a solid performance, strive to go beyond expectations, always take advantage of every opportunity to learn new things, and make sure they put the company's best interests first. People who take this approach make themselves valuable. At some point the smart company will recognize that value in the form of promotions and other opportunities to increase compensation. And if for some reason the demonstrated talent isn't recognized in an appropriate way and in at appropriate time, the unrewarded person can always leave, and take their demonstrated talents and solid work ethics to a company that does value performance.
I realize for many readers that I am "preaching to the choir." But in addition to the talented managers who read these posts, I also hope the blog attracts people who want to get ahead and wonder why they don't. For that audience, I write this post.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog is designed to be a resource for supervisors and other first line managers, as well as other people interested in management topics. Currently most of our readers are from Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut. But everyone interested in management topics is welcome.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
How very sad for them. They fail to appreciate that their company has chosen to invest in their education, presumably in the hopes of a opportunity for that person in the future. Instead that person discounts the opportunity by holding back, believing that if they were paid more they'd be more interested in showing their company what they are really capable of doing.
The fact is that successful companies pay for performance. And people who want to get ahead in those companies know enough to put forth a solid performance, strive to go beyond expectations, always take advantage of every opportunity to learn new things, and make sure they put the company's best interests first. People who take this approach make themselves valuable. At some point the smart company will recognize that value in the form of promotions and other opportunities to increase compensation. And if for some reason the demonstrated talent isn't recognized in an appropriate way and in at appropriate time, the unrewarded person can always leave, and take their demonstrated talents and solid work ethics to a company that does value performance.
I realize for many readers that I am "preaching to the choir." But in addition to the talented managers who read these posts, I also hope the blog attracts people who want to get ahead and wonder why they don't. For that audience, I write this post.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog is designed to be a resource for supervisors and other first line managers, as well as other people interested in management topics. Currently most of our readers are from Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut. But everyone interested in management topics is welcome.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Issues: Dealing With Uncertainty
The Issue: "My days at work are not scripted and things or situations arise that can't be planned for. I'm caught off guard. I have no time to prepare and no time to think of a course of action to take. I find myself becoming tense. I don't deal with these stressful situations very well."
Dan's Response: The way to deal with rapid changes at work is to be wary, be flexible, anticipate and prepare. Be wary - keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for emerging problems. Be flexible - know your options for different types of situations. Anticipate - think about what might happen. Prepare - Learn useful techniques.
When it comes to handling rapid changes and stressful situations, there's no substitute for experience. But supervisors who lack experience can also turn to their boss and/or peers who have solid track records as resources. Ask them for advice and counsel on how to anticipate and avoid troublesome issues. And how to handle them when they can't be avoided.
About me: Dan Pelley is an educator specializing in management training and development programs for supervisors and other first-line managers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The issue recited above came from a participant in one of his supervisory management development programs.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Dan's Response: The way to deal with rapid changes at work is to be wary, be flexible, anticipate and prepare. Be wary - keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for emerging problems. Be flexible - know your options for different types of situations. Anticipate - think about what might happen. Prepare - Learn useful techniques.
When it comes to handling rapid changes and stressful situations, there's no substitute for experience. But supervisors who lack experience can also turn to their boss and/or peers who have solid track records as resources. Ask them for advice and counsel on how to anticipate and avoid troublesome issues. And how to handle them when they can't be avoided.
About me: Dan Pelley is an educator specializing in management training and development programs for supervisors and other first-line managers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The issue recited above came from a participant in one of his supervisory management development programs.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Want to be a Contributor?
Did you read yesterday's post? Its the first post on Pelleyblog not written by me. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to look at it today. It was written by a supervisor, Kevin King, and dealt with the idea of how being humble benefits a supervisor. And because it wasn't written by me, you get a different perspective and point-of-view. I hope we'll have more submissions from others to include on the blog. It's part of my vision for the future of Pelleyblog: A communication device for supervisors where many people can share their thoughts, ideas, opinions, perspectives and points-of-view.
I encourage you to participate in the blog. You can comment on any post at any time. You can submit an issue as Nancy and others have done. Now I'd also like to invite you to submit an article for posting on the blog. You can do that by clicking on the submission information link found at the top of the blue field (located under the green field) in the column found to the right. Its the same link some of you have already used to submit issues. Feel free to use it to submit articles you've written that other readers of the blog might be interested in. I'll make a special effort to post all relevant and appropriate submissions. And I promise, if I can't accept a submission, I'll email you and let you know why.
If things work out as I hope they will, Pelleyblog will very much become more your blog than mine.
About Pelleyblog: We are striving to be a communication device for managers where many people can share their thoughts, ideas, opinions, perspectives and points-of-view. We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us both as readers and participants.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
I encourage you to participate in the blog. You can comment on any post at any time. You can submit an issue as Nancy and others have done. Now I'd also like to invite you to submit an article for posting on the blog. You can do that by clicking on the submission information link found at the top of the blue field (located under the green field) in the column found to the right. Its the same link some of you have already used to submit issues. Feel free to use it to submit articles you've written that other readers of the blog might be interested in. I'll make a special effort to post all relevant and appropriate submissions. And I promise, if I can't accept a submission, I'll email you and let you know why.
If things work out as I hope they will, Pelleyblog will very much become more your blog than mine.
About Pelleyblog: We are striving to be a communication device for managers where many people can share their thoughts, ideas, opinions, perspectives and points-of-view. We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us both as readers and participants.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
On Being Humble
The following article was written by Kevin King of Brooklyn, CT., a supervisor at Putnam Plastics LLC, Dayville, CT. and submitted as part of his work toward earning his Certificate in Supervisory Management from Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson. His article deals with the trait of humbleness defined as the capacity to admit your own shortcomings; to accept criticism from others; to receive help. The article was reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.
HUMBLENESS
I would have to say one factor that helps me make a significant positive contribution to my job would be humbleness . In the following paragraphs, I will describe the positive benefits in detail that help me impact my job performance. Three examples that I will be using are ability to admit my shortcomings, ability to accept criticism and the ability to receive help.
I always give 110 percent in my job, and am aware that being human means there will be a mistake made from time to time. I never hesitate to step up to the plate and accept responsibility when something has gone wrong or broken in my department. This not only benefits me, but also benefits the company, as they know that I'm aware of the things happening in my department both good and bad. It shows my character to the company, that I am not afraid of mistakes, and will not try to sweep them under the carpet just to make myself or others look better. The benefit to me is that I know I did the best job I possibly could, and allows me to take pride in the things I do. When someone works with pride their results will almost always come out for the better instead of the worst. On the other side of admitting my shortcomings, I am also able to give credit to others when being congratulated on a job. The supervisor receives a lot of credit for jobs done in their department, but I also realize that without the people to help me do the jobs, I would not be able to complete things so fast and efficient. This leads to me passing a lot of the credit down the line to them, which in return lets them know that they are being noticed for a good job and puts pride in their work as well.
In the job place it is very important for any leader to be able to accept criticism from others, as there will always be something that can be done different. This doesn't necessarily mean that doing it a different way is going to be a better way, but listening to the criticism and breaking it down as if you were doing the process can help you figure out if it'll help or not. Criticism is a way of opening your mind towards your job performance, as some criticism can lead you into discovery. If you allow yourself to be open and listen to what is being said you may find a faster or easier way to improve your job performance. This in return benefits both you and the company.
Some of receiving help could actually come from the paragraph above. Breaking down criticism, and applying what may help your process could be considered help from others. It is also important for anyone to never be afraid to ask someone for help. It is only human to need others, or ask others for input on things. You may be doing everything right, but overlooking one simple task that could have a big impact on your job performance. The saying "two heads are better than one can apply a lot in the work place for this very reason. As a supervisor I'm never afraid to ask others for opinions or ideas on how to improve a process. This doesn't just apply to other supervisors or managers, but not being afraid to ask those who run the line themselves for their opinions is a wise decision. These people are your front line when it comes to running the machines; they deal with the beast everyday and know the nature of it better than most. Some of your best ideas and helpful hints come from those that work under you, this also shows them you value their ideas, and lets them know they really are a part of the team.
In closing, the above paragraphs have given some insight on my thoughts and feelings when it comes to humbleness. I believe this greatly improves my job performance, and may even help others on their job performances. I do know that it has helped others in my own department, as being humble towards them gives them pride in their work. The more pride they have in their work the better the process becomes. The better the process becomes, the more it benefits both the company and the employee.
I always give 110 percent in my job, and am aware that being human means there will be a mistake made from time to time. I never hesitate to step up to the plate and accept responsibility when something has gone wrong or broken in my department. This not only benefits me, but also benefits the company, as they know that I'm aware of the things happening in my department both good and bad. It shows my character to the company, that I am not afraid of mistakes, and will not try to sweep them under the carpet just to make myself or others look better. The benefit to me is that I know I did the best job I possibly could, and allows me to take pride in the things I do. When someone works with pride their results will almost always come out for the better instead of the worst. On the other side of admitting my shortcomings, I am also able to give credit to others when being congratulated on a job. The supervisor receives a lot of credit for jobs done in their department, but I also realize that without the people to help me do the jobs, I would not be able to complete things so fast and efficient. This leads to me passing a lot of the credit down the line to them, which in return lets them know that they are being noticed for a good job and puts pride in their work as well.
In the job place it is very important for any leader to be able to accept criticism from others, as there will always be something that can be done different. This doesn't necessarily mean that doing it a different way is going to be a better way, but listening to the criticism and breaking it down as if you were doing the process can help you figure out if it'll help or not. Criticism is a way of opening your mind towards your job performance, as some criticism can lead you into discovery. If you allow yourself to be open and listen to what is being said you may find a faster or easier way to improve your job performance. This in return benefits both you and the company.
Some of receiving help could actually come from the paragraph above. Breaking down criticism, and applying what may help your process could be considered help from others. It is also important for anyone to never be afraid to ask someone for help. It is only human to need others, or ask others for input on things. You may be doing everything right, but overlooking one simple task that could have a big impact on your job performance. The saying "two heads are better than one can apply a lot in the work place for this very reason. As a supervisor I'm never afraid to ask others for opinions or ideas on how to improve a process. This doesn't just apply to other supervisors or managers, but not being afraid to ask those who run the line themselves for their opinions is a wise decision. These people are your front line when it comes to running the machines; they deal with the beast everyday and know the nature of it better than most. Some of your best ideas and helpful hints come from those that work under you, this also shows them you value their ideas, and lets them know they really are a part of the team.
In closing, the above paragraphs have given some insight on my thoughts and feelings when it comes to humbleness. I believe this greatly improves my job performance, and may even help others on their job performances. I do know that it has helped others in my own department, as being humble towards them gives them pride in their work. The more pride they have in their work the better the process becomes. The better the process becomes, the more it benefits both the company and the employee.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog is designed to be a resource for supervisors and other first line managers. Currently most of our readers are from Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut. But everyone interested in management topics is welcome. We also welcome your participation. Feel free to comment on this or any other post.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. PelleyAll rights reserved.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Competition is Fun
A manager told me the story of a unionized industrial plant where the productivity had been stagnant for years. Each of the three shifts consistently output 40 tons of product day in and day out. The plant manager tried everything he could to get each shift to increase their productivity by even a little bit but had no luck.
One day the first shift output 41 tons due to an error in tracking. When the plant manager discovered the error the next day he said nothing. Instead he posted a sign at the time clock: first shift -- 41 tons -- great job! The first shift employees saw the sign as they left, and the second shift employees saw the sign as they came in.
The next morning as the plant manager arrived, he found someone had changed the sign and crossed out the first shift results. It now read: second shift -- 42 tons -- great job! But that had been crossed out as well and replaced with: third shift -- 43 tons -- great job!
From that point forward the competition continued with support and encouragement and tokens of appreciation from the plant manager driven by the fundamental motivation of many human beings to be competitive.
About me: Dan Pelley teaches a number of productivity improvement techniques in his Proactive Leadership program. The program is offered on an open enrollment basis in Lincoln, RI and Danielson. CT.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Monday, February 16, 2009
You're Not The Manager
This issue resulted from a comment on our February 11, 2009 post "I Welcome Your Comments"
Anonymous said: Dan, I have a problem. I "oversee" a team but I have not yet been officially made "supervisor" or "manager". Basically the lead person of the area in which I work, I am expected to have the answers to the problems and keep the area staffed appropriately.
One of the girls who works in my department only does 4 hours per week as a float, her home base is another department. Last week we had an issue - when she came in to work in our area she refused to sit at an empty work station, instead she made a fuss because she wanted to sit where someone else was already logged on (that person was not scheduled to be at that station until the afternoon, but since it takes so long to log into the system she had opened up all programs and locked her computer station so she would be ready to work in the afternoon).
When I asked her to please sit at the empty desk she raised her voice and ended up walking out to get her manager. To make a long story short, the employee ended up getting her way (the employee scheduled in the afternoon had to come in and shut everything down). Once this was done the part time person proceeded to sit at the empty work station that I had asked her to sit at originally!!! I was infuriated! The air in the department was thick and tense for the time she remained with us.
Once she had left for the day it was brought to my attention by another that when she had walked out to get her manager she was bad mouthing me - making comments to the effect of "who does she think she is - she's not the manager - I don't have to listen to her".........how should I deal with this?
P.S., I would love to see this put into a forum and see the different ways people would approach this, thanks!
Dan's Response: Let's put first things first. You need to discuss the situation with your boss and get a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities. You may not have an official title, but you have apparently been given some responsibilities that need a commensurate amount of authority. You and your boss need to reach a clear understanding of how much authority you are expected to exert.
Having done that, you need to also discuss the specifics of this situation and how it should have been handled. Do you have the right to assign workstations? If not, what are you supposed to do when someone sits at a station that has already logged in for another employee? And as a side issue, what is your boss's position on people logging in early so a work station is ready to go when they start work? And you also need to discuss how to handle insubordinate people who do not report directly (I assume) to your manager.
Since you didn't mention any other troublesome people, I assume everyone else in the department understands that you are in charge and have certain responsibilities and authority. If that's not true, your boss needs to communicate your role to the people who work in your department. If there are only one or two people who fail to appreciate your role and the level of authority you have over them, your boss needs to clearly establish that with the individuals involved. If any of those individuals directly report to another manager and are temporarily assigned to your department, your boss needs to clarify with their manager and their manager needs to clarify with the individual your role and authority over the individual when they are working in your department.
As presented, you imply that it was the temporary person's manager who let the person have their way. If so, I am astounded that your manager would accept another manager coming into the department and telling you how to run it. If this in fact is the situation, you need a clear understanding with your manager on how to handle a similar situation in the future.
Anonymous said: Dan, I have a problem. I "oversee" a team but I have not yet been officially made "supervisor" or "manager". Basically the lead person of the area in which I work, I am expected to have the answers to the problems and keep the area staffed appropriately.
One of the girls who works in my department only does 4 hours per week as a float, her home base is another department. Last week we had an issue - when she came in to work in our area she refused to sit at an empty work station, instead she made a fuss because she wanted to sit where someone else was already logged on (that person was not scheduled to be at that station until the afternoon, but since it takes so long to log into the system she had opened up all programs and locked her computer station so she would be ready to work in the afternoon).
When I asked her to please sit at the empty desk she raised her voice and ended up walking out to get her manager. To make a long story short, the employee ended up getting her way (the employee scheduled in the afternoon had to come in and shut everything down). Once this was done the part time person proceeded to sit at the empty work station that I had asked her to sit at originally!!! I was infuriated! The air in the department was thick and tense for the time she remained with us.
Once she had left for the day it was brought to my attention by another that when she had walked out to get her manager she was bad mouthing me - making comments to the effect of "who does she think she is - she's not the manager - I don't have to listen to her".........how should I deal with this?
P.S., I would love to see this put into a forum and see the different ways people would approach this, thanks!
Dan's Response: Let's put first things first. You need to discuss the situation with your boss and get a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities. You may not have an official title, but you have apparently been given some responsibilities that need a commensurate amount of authority. You and your boss need to reach a clear understanding of how much authority you are expected to exert.
Having done that, you need to also discuss the specifics of this situation and how it should have been handled. Do you have the right to assign workstations? If not, what are you supposed to do when someone sits at a station that has already logged in for another employee? And as a side issue, what is your boss's position on people logging in early so a work station is ready to go when they start work? And you also need to discuss how to handle insubordinate people who do not report directly (I assume) to your manager.
Since you didn't mention any other troublesome people, I assume everyone else in the department understands that you are in charge and have certain responsibilities and authority. If that's not true, your boss needs to communicate your role to the people who work in your department. If there are only one or two people who fail to appreciate your role and the level of authority you have over them, your boss needs to clearly establish that with the individuals involved. If any of those individuals directly report to another manager and are temporarily assigned to your department, your boss needs to clarify with their manager and their manager needs to clarify with the individual your role and authority over the individual when they are working in your department.
As presented, you imply that it was the temporary person's manager who let the person have their way. If so, I am astounded that your manager would accept another manager coming into the department and telling you how to run it. If this in fact is the situation, you need a clear understanding with your manager on how to handle a similar situation in the future.
On the other hand, if it was your manager who let the person have their way, then you need to explore your manager's reason for doing that. If you can accept the reasoning, fine. If you have difficulty accepting the reasoning, especially in light of the impact on your morale and that of the department, ask your manager if things might be handled differently in the future. For example, unless you are totally out of line, perhaps your manager could address insubordination by telling the employee to follow your directives. You're manager could then take you aside to discuss whether or not your directive was solid. If not, then you're manager could coach you on how to go back and revise the directive with the employee. For example in this case, if the work area in question should not have been logged onto, your boss might have you get the absentee employee to log off, and following that you might tell the temporary employee that they can now move over to that terminal if they want to. That way, you're still in charge even though it may have been that the work terminal shouldn't have been locked out.
In any case, it is your boss who has to establish the extent of your authority and how you are to handle things. And it may be that you don't have as much authority as you think you do and/or it may be that your boss might think you are being too strict. If so, clearing the air on these matters will help put your role into better perspective. But in any case, you and your boss need to agree that you can't effectively be in charge of the department if people are allowed to be insubordinate and do whatever they want in defiance of you and with the support of one or more managers in your company. If that's going to be the case then the employee, not you, is running the department.
Finally, becoming emotional or infuriated when you face a difficult employee ends up diminishing your leadership persona. Even though you took a hit which seems to be unjustified in light of the insubordination, you look much better when you learn to put your emotions aside and rise above it. Having a good rapport with your boss so you can talk through these situations so they can be avoided in the future is a good way to start.
About me: Dan Pelley conducts training programs for supervisors in the New England states, with a concentration in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. His programs include "Handling the Difficult Employee," "Working Together," "Managing People," and "Leadership Skills."
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thought for the Day
Do you ever feel this way?
MY JOB
I'm not allowed to run the train, the whistle I can't blow.
I'm not the one who designates how far the train will go.
I'm not allowed to blow the steam, or even ring the bell,
But let the damn thing jump the track and see who catches hell.
by: ANON
About Pelleyblog: We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
MY JOB
I'm not allowed to run the train, the whistle I can't blow.
I'm not the one who designates how far the train will go.
I'm not allowed to blow the steam, or even ring the bell,
But let the damn thing jump the track and see who catches hell.
by: ANON
About Pelleyblog: We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
When Teams Fail
I have over fifteen years of team building experience as an educator, consultant, facilitator and "hands-on" team leader. I've seen some great successes with teams including companies that attribute substantial increases in performance to their teams. I've also seen some miserable failures, even to the extent that some companies may never try a team approach again. My years of observing successful teams, marginal teams, and failures has lead me to one solid conclusion about teams that fail.
When teams fail it is rarely the employees on the team that fail. Usually its the managers who fail the team. Through a lack of direction. Or a lack of support. Or insufficient resources. Or canceling the team effort without explanation or justification. Or any other of a number of reasons.
When the teams fail, I find those failures often reinforce the belief of many employees that management "never follows through on its initiatives, so why should we bother?"
Successful team efforts can provide extraordinary benefits to companies, and I encourage companies to use teams and support them in the proper way. But when companies approach me about a major team building initiative, I always give them this caution: "Don't start this process unless you are serious and committed and are willing to do what it takes to make the team efforts successful. If you start this and fail, you'll do far more damage to your company than if you never started the team effort in the first place."
About me: Dan Pelley conducts employee involvement and team building programs in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. His most popular programs include "Team Participation Skills," and "Team-Oriented Problem Solving." Both are "hands on programs."
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
When teams fail it is rarely the employees on the team that fail. Usually its the managers who fail the team. Through a lack of direction. Or a lack of support. Or insufficient resources. Or canceling the team effort without explanation or justification. Or any other of a number of reasons.
When the teams fail, I find those failures often reinforce the belief of many employees that management "never follows through on its initiatives, so why should we bother?"
Successful team efforts can provide extraordinary benefits to companies, and I encourage companies to use teams and support them in the proper way. But when companies approach me about a major team building initiative, I always give them this caution: "Don't start this process unless you are serious and committed and are willing to do what it takes to make the team efforts successful. If you start this and fail, you'll do far more damage to your company than if you never started the team effort in the first place."
About me: Dan Pelley conducts employee involvement and team building programs in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. His most popular programs include "Team Participation Skills," and "Team-Oriented Problem Solving." Both are "hands on programs."
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Will We Have a Forum?
Will yesterday's post regarding the abrasive employee become our first forum?
As defined in Wikipedia an Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site. It is the modern equivalent of a traditional bulletin board. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content.
As defined in Wikipedia an Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site. It is the modern equivalent of a traditional bulletin board. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content.
When I began to think about expanding my on-line presence, I considered having both a blog and a forum. I decided to focus on the blog first, but I soon realized that Pelleyblog's small (but growing) list of regular readers sharing similar interests might allow us to create a forum on any topic of interest to us. We could use the blog comment function for that purpose. Later, when we get enough readers generating enough comments to make that process unwieldy, then we can move to create an official forum site in addition to Pelleyblog.
The post on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week set the stage for the "abrasive employee" issue initiated by Nancy and posted yesterday. If you've read that post, you know I gave Nancy my input. But she asked for yours as well. If you'll respond to Nancy's request, we'll have our first forum; a group of people dealing with an issue of common interest in a bulletin board fashion. If we all worked together in the same place, it would be the same as putting a huge sheet of paper on the wall so you could read what others say, and add your thoughts as well. As often as you wish.
If you're a manager of people, as most of our readers are, I think you know most problems have more than one answer, and most issues we face can be approached in more than one way. If you'll share your experiences, your perspectives and your points-of-view, and if others will as well, all of us can collect more perspectives, insights, approaches, and answers that we can add to our managerial knowledge base for our own potential future use.
Please join us won't you? I know Nancy is reading today (and will be in the future) hoping to see your comment on her issue. Feel free to comment on yesterday's post, the abrasive employee, and/or on any article, post or comment in the blog.
If you are not sure how to comment or what commenting is all about, see our post on Tuesday, February 10.
About Pelleyblog: We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Issue: Abrasive employee
Nancy submitted this issue:
G", a long term employee of the company, has been in the department for many years and has an exceptional command of her own job as well as the job of the person under her. She actually used to do that person's job several years ago, and currently she reconciles the majority of the work this person does. So an amicable working relationship between these two is important. Unfortunately, “G” can be quite abrupt and abrasive at times. Because she's a master at 99% of what she does (which is not necessarily bad), her attitude seems to be that everyone else should be too. She takes this tone not only with the person under her, but also toward a newly promoted peer (who is learning), and on occasion toward me, the supervisor.
“G” has little to no patience for the person under her (a person who has been in this position for about a year). When there’s an issue to be resolved or some training to be done, “G” doesn't explain things in a logical, linear fashion. She doesn't tell the story of the problem. While she knows it in her head (or at least I think she does), but she's very clipped in her verbal communication. She can't understand why, after one or two attempts, the person doesn't understand what she's trying to explain. This lack of understanding invariably comes across as abrasive, generally via her verbal tone and sometime via her body language.
She can also be abrasive on occasion with me (her supervisor). For example, if she has a problem that she needs direction on, and I start asking questions because I don't understand her issue or the process, her tone gets short with me.
“G” is also resistant when it comes to training other members of the department. Our departmental goal is to cross train everyone. Her job is one of only a couple that we have not been able to cross train. She refuses. Even though I tell all my people they are the master of their job, “G” doesn't believe she has any superior knowledge. I’m trying to get her to understand that she's a master at her responsibilities and I need her to transfer that information to others. I’ve told her she can even do this informally -- kind of like a brown bag lunch thing. Everyone would benefit from it including the person under her. I thought this might be a less structured way to develop “G’s” ability to teach and tell the story. It would also help her strengthen her communication skills in the process.
I need to deal with this, but I don't feel it's appropriate to reprimand an adult (who is older than me) every time their tone is off. Maybe that's the answer, but I'm uncertain as to what my approach should be.
Dan's Response:
Before you do anything, you need to be clear in your role. You are her boss, even though you may be younger than her. Your company put you into your management position because they believed you were the best person to handle any issues in your department. Not only is it appropriate for you to deal with people issues, including reprimands of employees who are older than you when necessary, its your job.
Next consider that its easier to deal with behavioral problems when you know the cause of the problem. Why does “G” act the way she does? Is it her nature to be short with people, or are there issues at work (or at home) that make her act this way? What does she think about her job? Her role in the department? The personality and capabilities of the person under her? How does she view you as her boss? What does she like about her job? What doesn’t she like? What changes would she like to see made in the department? Why does she object to teaching people her job? Does she realize how she comes across to other people? The more you know about “G,” the better able you’ll be to deal with the issue. By the way, the same is true with all your direct reports. The better you know each individual the better equipped you’ll be to motivate, mentor and manage that person.
Some people who are abrupt and abrasive don’t realize it. Other people know they are but tend to ignore it because no one complains or to downplay it (as being minor) if someone does call it to their attention. Other people recognize it, know its wrong, but refuse, or find it difficult, to change. Which of these possibilities fit “G.?”
If “G” doesn’t realize what she does, you need to start there. In a private counseling session, you can start by saying something like; “you may not be aware of this but you are sometimes very short, especially with your coworkers and sometimes with me as well.” You can bet at that point “G” will ask you what you mean. So you need to be prepared with several examples that illustrate the behavior and the impact of the behavior on the department, on her coworkers and you. It may take some time, but ultimately you want her to recognize the problem. At that point you may get her to tell you why she thinks she acts that way. Ultimately you need to get “G” to agree to make an effort to change her behavior. Only when she agrees there is a problem and the behavior must change can you effectively move to the next step – coaching.
The coaching step is where you help “G” develop ways to minimize and hopefully eliminate the behavior. Start by asking her what she thinks she can do to solve the problem. And be prepared to offer your suggestions on what she can do. Hopefully the two of you can come up with a good plan. Most importantly, be sure she understands that you'll continue to help her as much as you can as she works on making the necessary changes. Also let her know that if she slips or falls back, and that certainly may happen for a while, you’ll be sure to let her know so can be aware of the episode. Making her aware of episodes also gives both of you an opportunity to diagnose what specifically happened in this episode and what specific preventative measures can be taken in the future.
If, on the other hand, “G” recognizes the problem but refuses to deal with it, you have a disciplinary situation. Since she already knows what the problem is, you're counseling session will be focused on how the behavior impacts the department, why the behavior must change, and what will happen if the behavior doesn’t change. You certainly should tell “G” that you’ll be happy to coach, advise and help if she wants it. But whether she wants your help or not, she needs to clearly understand that the behavior must change.
Finally, regarding the refusal to teach others her job, you need to make “G” aware that teaching other people is part of her job and she is expected to do it. If she is not confident in doing it or needs some coaching in doing it, you will be happy to help. But she must do it. Gently remind her that if she refuses its insubordination. If she continues to refuse in the future you can ultimately move into a disciplinary process with stronger reminders, warnings and sanctions.
About Pelleyblog. This blog covers topics of interest to managers, particularly those at the first-line supervisor level. Topics include handling difficult employees, leadership, counseling, coaching, problem solving, lean thinking, motivation and time management.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
G", a long term employee of the company, has been in the department for many years and has an exceptional command of her own job as well as the job of the person under her. She actually used to do that person's job several years ago, and currently she reconciles the majority of the work this person does. So an amicable working relationship between these two is important. Unfortunately, “G” can be quite abrupt and abrasive at times. Because she's a master at 99% of what she does (which is not necessarily bad), her attitude seems to be that everyone else should be too. She takes this tone not only with the person under her, but also toward a newly promoted peer (who is learning), and on occasion toward me, the supervisor.
“G” has little to no patience for the person under her (a person who has been in this position for about a year). When there’s an issue to be resolved or some training to be done, “G” doesn't explain things in a logical, linear fashion. She doesn't tell the story of the problem. While she knows it in her head (or at least I think she does), but she's very clipped in her verbal communication. She can't understand why, after one or two attempts, the person doesn't understand what she's trying to explain. This lack of understanding invariably comes across as abrasive, generally via her verbal tone and sometime via her body language.
She can also be abrasive on occasion with me (her supervisor). For example, if she has a problem that she needs direction on, and I start asking questions because I don't understand her issue or the process, her tone gets short with me.
“G” is also resistant when it comes to training other members of the department. Our departmental goal is to cross train everyone. Her job is one of only a couple that we have not been able to cross train. She refuses. Even though I tell all my people they are the master of their job, “G” doesn't believe she has any superior knowledge. I’m trying to get her to understand that she's a master at her responsibilities and I need her to transfer that information to others. I’ve told her she can even do this informally -- kind of like a brown bag lunch thing. Everyone would benefit from it including the person under her. I thought this might be a less structured way to develop “G’s” ability to teach and tell the story. It would also help her strengthen her communication skills in the process.
I need to deal with this, but I don't feel it's appropriate to reprimand an adult (who is older than me) every time their tone is off. Maybe that's the answer, but I'm uncertain as to what my approach should be.
Dan's Response:
Before you do anything, you need to be clear in your role. You are her boss, even though you may be younger than her. Your company put you into your management position because they believed you were the best person to handle any issues in your department. Not only is it appropriate for you to deal with people issues, including reprimands of employees who are older than you when necessary, its your job.
Next consider that its easier to deal with behavioral problems when you know the cause of the problem. Why does “G” act the way she does? Is it her nature to be short with people, or are there issues at work (or at home) that make her act this way? What does she think about her job? Her role in the department? The personality and capabilities of the person under her? How does she view you as her boss? What does she like about her job? What doesn’t she like? What changes would she like to see made in the department? Why does she object to teaching people her job? Does she realize how she comes across to other people? The more you know about “G,” the better able you’ll be to deal with the issue. By the way, the same is true with all your direct reports. The better you know each individual the better equipped you’ll be to motivate, mentor and manage that person.
Some people who are abrupt and abrasive don’t realize it. Other people know they are but tend to ignore it because no one complains or to downplay it (as being minor) if someone does call it to their attention. Other people recognize it, know its wrong, but refuse, or find it difficult, to change. Which of these possibilities fit “G.?”
If “G” doesn’t realize what she does, you need to start there. In a private counseling session, you can start by saying something like; “you may not be aware of this but you are sometimes very short, especially with your coworkers and sometimes with me as well.” You can bet at that point “G” will ask you what you mean. So you need to be prepared with several examples that illustrate the behavior and the impact of the behavior on the department, on her coworkers and you. It may take some time, but ultimately you want her to recognize the problem. At that point you may get her to tell you why she thinks she acts that way. Ultimately you need to get “G” to agree to make an effort to change her behavior. Only when she agrees there is a problem and the behavior must change can you effectively move to the next step – coaching.
The coaching step is where you help “G” develop ways to minimize and hopefully eliminate the behavior. Start by asking her what she thinks she can do to solve the problem. And be prepared to offer your suggestions on what she can do. Hopefully the two of you can come up with a good plan. Most importantly, be sure she understands that you'll continue to help her as much as you can as she works on making the necessary changes. Also let her know that if she slips or falls back, and that certainly may happen for a while, you’ll be sure to let her know so can be aware of the episode. Making her aware of episodes also gives both of you an opportunity to diagnose what specifically happened in this episode and what specific preventative measures can be taken in the future.
If, on the other hand, “G” recognizes the problem but refuses to deal with it, you have a disciplinary situation. Since she already knows what the problem is, you're counseling session will be focused on how the behavior impacts the department, why the behavior must change, and what will happen if the behavior doesn’t change. You certainly should tell “G” that you’ll be happy to coach, advise and help if she wants it. But whether she wants your help or not, she needs to clearly understand that the behavior must change.
Finally, regarding the refusal to teach others her job, you need to make “G” aware that teaching other people is part of her job and she is expected to do it. If she is not confident in doing it or needs some coaching in doing it, you will be happy to help. But she must do it. Gently remind her that if she refuses its insubordination. If she continues to refuse in the future you can ultimately move into a disciplinary process with stronger reminders, warnings and sanctions.
About Pelleyblog. This blog covers topics of interest to managers, particularly those at the first-line supervisor level. Topics include handling difficult employees, leadership, counseling, coaching, problem solving, lean thinking, motivation and time management.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I Welcome Your Comments
When I first thought about expanding my on-line presence, I considered having both a blog and a forum. With some input from others, I decided to focus on the blog first, and here we are. But something is missing.
As a manager, I've always believed that most problems have more than one answer, and most issues can be approached in more than one way. Those of you who have taken an educational program with me know that. In the classroom I encourage you to share your experiences, your perspectives and your points-of-view. Now I'd like to encourage everyone who visits our blog to do that as well. Just hit the comment link at the end of any post to add your thoughts, insights, guidance, suggestions, criticism, praise, what-have-you. Let everyone benefit from your expertise, your perspective and your point-of-view. Not only on what I have to say, but on the issues submitted by others. Like the situation in yesterday's post. Or Nancy's issue to be posted tomorrow. I know she'll welcome your thoughts on her issue.
While comments are always reviewed before they actually appear on the blog, that's simply to weed out inappropriate comments such as sales pitches and profanity. It's generally our policy to pass all comments through to the blog, whether you agree with me or or other readers or not.
Please join us won't you? Feel free to comment on any article, post or comment in the blog. If you are not sure how to comment or what commenting is all about, see our post on Tuesday, February 10.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog is designed to be a resource for supervisors and other first line managers. Currently most of our readers are from Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut. But everyone interested in management topics is welcome.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
As a manager, I've always believed that most problems have more than one answer, and most issues can be approached in more than one way. Those of you who have taken an educational program with me know that. In the classroom I encourage you to share your experiences, your perspectives and your points-of-view. Now I'd like to encourage everyone who visits our blog to do that as well. Just hit the comment link at the end of any post to add your thoughts, insights, guidance, suggestions, criticism, praise, what-have-you. Let everyone benefit from your expertise, your perspective and your point-of-view. Not only on what I have to say, but on the issues submitted by others. Like the situation in yesterday's post. Or Nancy's issue to be posted tomorrow. I know she'll welcome your thoughts on her issue.
While comments are always reviewed before they actually appear on the blog, that's simply to weed out inappropriate comments such as sales pitches and profanity. It's generally our policy to pass all comments through to the blog, whether you agree with me or or other readers or not.
Please join us won't you? Feel free to comment on any article, post or comment in the blog. If you are not sure how to comment or what commenting is all about, see our post on Tuesday, February 10.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog is designed to be a resource for supervisors and other first line managers. Currently most of our readers are from Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut. But everyone interested in management topics is welcome.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
How to Comment on Pelleyblog posts
Are you new to blogging? Want to get involved? Share your thoughts and opinions? This post is your "hands-on" chance to learn how to comment while avoiding rookie mistakes.
Comments allow you to become part of a blog. Using comments you can present different perspectives, share your own experiences, offer suggestions, criticize, disagree, ask questions or whatever. Try it today by commenting on this special post designed to guide you through, and to make sure a mistake doesn't somehow get through for everyone to see. Keep reading to learn how.
Posting a comment on Pelleyblog is simple.
At the end of each post, after all text including any "about" information (about me, about Pelleyblog, about my work, etc), you'll see a white box with "posted by," labels, and number of comments.
Click on # comments. That displays comments already published followed by a "leave your comment" box. If there are a lot of comments to this post, you can read through them to the comment box or you can click on Jump to comment form at the top.
Next, write whatever you want to say in the "leave your comment" box. When finished scroll down to "choose an identity." There are four choices including anonymous.
Click on the circle preceding your choice. If you're a registered blogger or are involved with open ID, choose those options.
If you are new at blogging, click either "Name/URL" if you want to create a name just for this post, or anonymous. If you choose "Name/URL," the url entry is optional. If you want us to be able to associate your name with a given url, then enter the url. Otherwise just enter the name you want to use and leave the url blank. (Note: the url is not your email address).
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Why a review? We use a review process to keep inappropriate comments, obscenities, scams and spam and other things our viewers don't need off the blog. Beyond those types of comments, its our practice to accept all other comments, including those that disagree with us.
Please try making a comment now. I'll be your safety net. Say hello, good day, great blog, get a job, or anything else just to say hello and see how your comment will actually appear on a blog. Publish your comment to send it for review. Then give me 24 hours.
If you just want to try the process to send the comment to me, but don't want it published through to the blog, be sure to tell me that in your comment. If you have a confidential question or issue and want me to respond directly to you without publishing your comment, include your email address in the body of your comment. I'll do my best to respond via email.
After 24 hours return to Pelleyblog and click on the comments to this post. Unless you told me not to publish your blog (or your post failed for some other reason), you will see your published comment along with the comments of others.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog focuses on management topics for supervisors and other first-line managers. We are an extension of Dan Pelley Educational Services which conducts management development programs primarily in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, although we also serve the other New England states. Pelleyblog welcomes and looks forward to new readers from any geographic location.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Comments allow you to become part of a blog. Using comments you can present different perspectives, share your own experiences, offer suggestions, criticize, disagree, ask questions or whatever. Try it today by commenting on this special post designed to guide you through, and to make sure a mistake doesn't somehow get through for everyone to see. Keep reading to learn how.
Posting a comment on Pelleyblog is simple.
At the end of each post, after all text including any "about" information (about me, about Pelleyblog, about my work, etc), you'll see a white box with "posted by," labels, and number of comments.
Click on # comments. That displays comments already published followed by a "leave your comment" box. If there are a lot of comments to this post, you can read through them to the comment box or you can click on Jump to comment form at the top.
Next, write whatever you want to say in the "leave your comment" box. When finished scroll down to "choose an identity." There are four choices including anonymous.
Click on the circle preceding your choice. If you're a registered blogger or are involved with open ID, choose those options.
If you are new at blogging, click either "Name/URL" if you want to create a name just for this post, or anonymous. If you choose "Name/URL," the url entry is optional. If you want us to be able to associate your name with a given url, then enter the url. Otherwise just enter the name you want to use and leave the url blank. (Note: the url is not your email address).
If you want to preview your post, click on the blue button under identity. Your comment will appear in a shaded box as the last comment. It's visible only to you to show you what your comment would look like if published. If you don't see your comment in preview, make sure you have chosen an identity first.
If you want to change your message or your identity, your original comment box and identity choices are under your preview so you can easily make changes and preview again until you're done.
When you're ready to send your comment, click the orange button under identity. The message "Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval" appears. Hooray! You're done.
What's next? Your comment comes to us for review and then on to be posted on the blog.
Why a review? We use a review process to keep inappropriate comments, obscenities, scams and spam and other things our viewers don't need off the blog. Beyond those types of comments, its our practice to accept all other comments, including those that disagree with us.
Please try making a comment now. I'll be your safety net. Say hello, good day, great blog, get a job, or anything else just to say hello and see how your comment will actually appear on a blog. Publish your comment to send it for review. Then give me 24 hours.
If you just want to try the process to send the comment to me, but don't want it published through to the blog, be sure to tell me that in your comment. If you have a confidential question or issue and want me to respond directly to you without publishing your comment, include your email address in the body of your comment. I'll do my best to respond via email.
After 24 hours return to Pelleyblog and click on the comments to this post. Unless you told me not to publish your blog (or your post failed for some other reason), you will see your published comment along with the comments of others.
About Pelleyblog: Pelleyblog focuses on management topics for supervisors and other first-line managers. We are an extension of Dan Pelley Educational Services which conducts management development programs primarily in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, although we also serve the other New England states. Pelleyblog welcomes and looks forward to new readers from any geographic location.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Manager as a Doormat
It happened many years ago. The setting was a discussion group in my "Managing People" program at a local college. The group of supervisors included an administrator from another college, a quite liberal institution that was following the touchy-feely management style so popular at that time. The administrator's situation involved an employee was quite difficult to handle. The employee described was a real piece of work.
"Things have changed. I no longer feel guilty about her unwarranted unhappiness, unfounded complaints, lack of cooperation and support, and her failure to do her job. I've let her know in no uncertain terms that her behavior is unacceptable and that things are going to change or she will no longer be with us.
"Thanks for your advice. As some would say: "I needed that."
About me: For 25 years, Dan Pelley has presented supervisory management development programs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. He is the 2004 recipient of the Richard Fontaine Award for Teaching Excellence awarded by Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, CT.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Other managers in the class offered many for improving the situation, but no idea seemed to catch on. As the discussion continued, I noticed one usually vocal " old school" manufacturing supervisor was focused 100% on what she had to say. He made no comment, but his facial expression was a mixture of consternation and exasperation.
The class was ending and I asked for any final comments. The old-school supervisor said: "Yes," as he turned to face the administrator and said: "Lady, what you have there is a case of gross insubordination and if I were you I'd bounce her ass right out the door."
The class ended on that note. During the next week I expected a call at any time from my Dean asking what was going on? Thankfully the call never came. As we approached the next class session, I began to wonder if the administrator would even come back. But she did arrive and took her usual seat. When the class began, she raised her hand and said: "I'd like to make a comment." Uh oh," I thought. "Here we go."
She turned, looked the "old-school" supervisor right in the eye, and said: "Thank you. I was shocked by what you said. And didn't like it. But the more I thought about it, I began to realize I was becoming her doormat. She was taking advantage of me and abusing our institutional philosophy on how to treat our employees. She was walking all over me. Thanks to you, I began to see her in a different light."Things have changed. I no longer feel guilty about her unwarranted unhappiness, unfounded complaints, lack of cooperation and support, and her failure to do her job. I've let her know in no uncertain terms that her behavior is unacceptable and that things are going to change or she will no longer be with us.
"Thanks for your advice. As some would say: "I needed that."
About me: For 25 years, Dan Pelley has presented supervisory management development programs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. He is the 2004 recipient of the Richard Fontaine Award for Teaching Excellence awarded by Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, CT.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Thought for the Day
"An ethical person always chooses to do the right thing in every situation, even when no one is looking, even if no other person will ever know about it, even if they will get no recognition, reward, or credit for it; an ethical person always chooses to do the right thing."
About Pelleyblog: We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
About Pelleyblog: We focus on topics of interest to supervisors, group leaders, foremen, department managers, project managers, team leaders, assistant managers, associate managers, office managers, nurse managers, crew leaders, unit managers, and other first-line managers. But managers at all levels, and people interested in management topics are welcome and are encouraged to join us.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Issues: Managing Expectations
The issue: A very bright but distracted employee. Indeed, he is so absent-minded that the manager questions whether the behavior is authentic. The manager also views him as the least productive and most unfocused team member; he doesn't take his job very seriously and socializes excessively. As a result, the manager is considering lowering his expectations of the employee. The manager tells me he thinks he set those expectations too high when he first took over the department because, at that time, this person was his most senior team member. At this point the manager also believes he may have to reestablish some trust on both sides. The manager sought my advice.
Dan's advice: Before lowering expectations, create an environment for him to grow into your expectations. Find out how he views things. What he likes, and doesn't like, about his job. What are his expectations? How well are his expectations being met on the job? In essence, begin by getting a handle on how he views his job and his role in the department. After that you can then try to make him a partner in creating a set of expectations that will benefit the both of you. Expectations that will improve the work environment for him, while also improving his performance and contribution to the department.
Dan's advice: Before lowering expectations, create an environment for him to grow into your expectations. Find out how he views things. What he likes, and doesn't like, about his job. What are his expectations? How well are his expectations being met on the job? In essence, begin by getting a handle on how he views his job and his role in the department. After that you can then try to make him a partner in creating a set of expectations that will benefit the both of you. Expectations that will improve the work environment for him, while also improving his performance and contribution to the department.
If you can both agree on a clear set of performance expectations that are appropriate and realistic, then you can begin to coach and mentor him on what he needs to know and do to meet those expectations.
Also realize that the foundation of trust is mutual respect. The framework for trust is a set of mutual expectations. The process of gaining trust involves maintaining respect while managing expectations and teaching people how to meet those expectations.
About me: Dan Pelley is an educator specializing in management training and development programs for supervisors and other first-line managers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The issue recited above came from a participant in one of his supervisory management development programs.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Lost Time Due to Accidents Not a Good Goal
I hope that title got your attention. Lost time due to accidents and recordable incidents are not good goals. At least for first-line managers and supervisors.
An effective goal always involves something a person can directly control. And first-line managers have very little control over the fact that some people will do very stupid things. For example: I know a lot of licensed electricians. To a person, they all tell me never to work on a 110v (household) circuit without shutting off the electricity at the panel. But it is a very rare electrician who would actually do that themselves. I've challenged them on that. Their response: "Well, I'm a licensed electrician. I know what I'm doing." Oh right. Now ask them if they ever get zapped and see what you get for an answer.
Over the years I've also seen, and I'm sure you've seen people do things they're not supposed to do. Operating equipment without guards in place. Not watching where they're going. Not paying attention. Showing off. Not wearing safety glasses. Or hard hats. Or seat belts. Or dust masks. Not cleaning spills in the cafeteria. Leaving boxes of paper in the aisle in the office. And on and on and on.
Yes, it is the job of any manager to make sure these things aren't happening. And if the manager pays attention to these things we might see a reduction in recordable incidents. But it is very difficult to measure the effectiveness of the manager paying attention as a direct correlation to recordable incidents.
Its far better for first line managers to set safety goals that can be directly measured as having been accomplished. For example, a supervisor might set a goal to install eight safety guards. Or a supervisor might set a goal to conduct 12 training sessions, one a month, on 12 specific safety topics. Or a supervisor might set a goal of conducting a monthly safety audit in the office based on a checklist with numerical scores. These kinds of safety goals are more direct, more tangible, and easier to control than recordable incidents.
On a different note, it seems companies use lost time due to accidents to measure the severity of an injury. But the fact is that the amount of time lost is generally set by a doctor, and possibly may bear no resemblance to the extent of injury. I once went to a doctor for a tetanus shot because I stepped on a nail. I couldn't believe it when the doctor recommended that I take two weeks off from work because of it.
I believe recordable incidents and lost time due to accidents are acceptable as strategic or tactical goals for a company, as long as we understand that some elements of those goals are out of the direct control of the management team. I also believe that all managers should be charged with direct responsibility for being on the lookout for safety issues and violations, and for taking immediate action on those issues and violations, as part of their daily operating routine. But I also believe that first-line managers are better advised to set more specific and tangible safety goals than lost time or recordable incidents.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Handling "Not Me"
Have you ever had "Not Me" in your department? You know, the person who always seems to be associated with a problem but for some reason can never be caught red-handed. You know they're involved. Your evidence is significant, but circumstantial. Hard to prove. Yet the problems created by this person are affecting your day to day operations, wasting time and money, and negatively impacting attitudes of and morale. You need to deal with it. But whenever you try to counsel the individual their response boils down to: "Not Me. Un-uh. Didn't do it. I'm a victim here. It's someone else. I wouldn't do that. No sir. Never. Not Me." What do you do?
I know a manager who faced this problem and tried to deal with the person through counseling. After several frustrating sessions in which "Not Me" would protest their innocence over and over again, the manager finally gave up. These were his final words to the employee:
"All right, I believe you. We keep having these meetings because somehow when these problems come up your name always seems to be associated with it. But every time we have these meetings you tell me it's not you. You're not involved. Somehow I've gotten the wrong impression. You would never be involved in such a thing. So now I believe you. And I'm done with these counseling sessions. I am not going to be talking with you about this again. But before you leave, I want you to know that somehow, whenever these things happen, your name is linked to it."
He continued: "I don't know what you are doing that causes that to happen. But you need to find out. And you need to fix it. So I'm telling you right now........... make it go away."
His tone-of-voice left no doubt in the mind of the employee that he was at the end of trying to counsel nicely. Nor did the employee have any doubt that the manager was nearing the end of his rope.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Discipline for All
Recently a manager called a meeting of the entire crew because a few employees were chronically late coming to work. Rather than deal with the individuals, the manager thought it would be best to let everyone know that lateness was not acceptable.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Have you ever been to a meeting like that? Everyone is scolded for the actions of a few. Whether it's lateness, extended breaks, personal telephone calls, too much personal time, too much talking, or what have you some managers think it better to counsel everyone rather than dealing with just the offenders.
Perhaps these managers don't want to offend anyone. Perhaps they want to avoid a direct confrontation. Perhaps they think it's more expedient to get the message out to everyone, or maybe they think that counseling everyone might keep some of the non-offenders from adopting the behavior in the future.
Unfortunately, a mass counseling session does not work. The offenders usually believe that the problem is no big deal, because if it were they would have received a stronger and more personal message. Indeed, some offenders might feel like they got away with something. It's even possible that some offenders are happy that otherwise good employees are being spoken to as well. The end result: every little impact on the actual offenders.
Good employees usually wonder why they had to go to such a meeting. After all, they haven't done anything wrong. They also wonder why the manager does not deal directly with the people who are causing the problem. And they know that work is piling up at their workstation while they sit through a disciplinary session that doesn't involve them. The end result: good people feel like they have been punished and that feeling lowers their morale.
The best rule: Counsel individuals, not groups. Discipline in private, not in public.Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Off and Running
One of my busy seasons begins this week. With several programs running, I thought you might like to know what I'm doing.
On Tuesday morning "Managing for Results" will be running in-house at a company in Eastern Connecticut. Wednesday morning the same program will run at Quinebaug Community College (QVCC) in Danielson, CT. Click for more details here: "Managing for Results"
On Wednesday afternoon "Proactive Leadership" will run at QVCC. To become proactive leaders, first-line supervisors need superior skills in problem solving, improving productivity, communicating ideas and implementing changes. This program provides the supervisor with those special management skills. Click for more details here: "Proactive Leadership"
On Thursday morning "Managing People" will run at the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. Click here for more details on "Managing People"
On Friday morning I will be delivering week 3 of "Leadership in a Changing Environment" for a company in Northern Rhode Island. For more details, click here: "Leadership in a Changing Environment"
I'm also working on a revised program, "Thriving on Change," to be delivered in March. Details will be available later.
If you'd like to know more about the work that I do, click the link to Dan Pelley Educational Services at the bottom of the green colored field in the right column.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
On Tuesday morning "Managing for Results" will be running in-house at a company in Eastern Connecticut. Wednesday morning the same program will run at Quinebaug Community College (QVCC) in Danielson, CT. Click for more details here: "Managing for Results"
On Wednesday afternoon "Proactive Leadership" will run at QVCC. To become proactive leaders, first-line supervisors need superior skills in problem solving, improving productivity, communicating ideas and implementing changes. This program provides the supervisor with those special management skills. Click for more details here: "Proactive Leadership"
On Thursday morning "Managing People" will run at the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce. Click here for more details on "Managing People"
On Friday morning I will be delivering week 3 of "Leadership in a Changing Environment" for a company in Northern Rhode Island. For more details, click here: "Leadership in a Changing Environment"
I'm also working on a revised program, "Thriving on Change," to be delivered in March. Details will be available later.
If you'd like to know more about the work that I do, click the link to Dan Pelley Educational Services at the bottom of the green colored field in the right column.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Serious Error in Judgment
I recently had a conversation with a person working for a very large retailer. I knew Tom had been out on Worker's Compensation and was now back to work, although his doctor told him that it would be a year or so before he had full use of the affected limb. I also knew his company had a light duty status for employees who are unable to do heavy physical work, so I asked Tom if he was in that status.
His response: "Yes, but they are constantly asking me to be a loader (placing heavy objects into customers cars or trucks)."
"But that's not light-duty," I said.
"No it's not," said Tom, "But that doesn't stop them from asking. And when I refuse, I often get asked 'why not?' Then I have to remind them that I'm on light-duty (which every manager is well aware of). Other times I get the nonverbal disapproval (the sigh, the look, and sometimes the scowl). I don't understand what their problem is. Before I was injured I always helped out in any way I possibly could. Now they make me feel guilty and act like I'm not doing my job even though my injury was job-related."
"Why don't they just get someone else to do the loading job," I asked.
"Because we are often short of help and they don't like to keep the customers waiting," Tom responded.
"Well, then it seems to me that the manager should pitch in to help out," was my thought.
His response: "Yes, but they are constantly asking me to be a loader (placing heavy objects into customers cars or trucks)."
"But that's not light-duty," I said.
"No it's not," said Tom, "But that doesn't stop them from asking. And when I refuse, I often get asked 'why not?' Then I have to remind them that I'm on light-duty (which every manager is well aware of). Other times I get the nonverbal disapproval (the sigh, the look, and sometimes the scowl). I don't understand what their problem is. Before I was injured I always helped out in any way I possibly could. Now they make me feel guilty and act like I'm not doing my job even though my injury was job-related."
"Why don't they just get someone else to do the loading job," I asked.
"Because we are often short of help and they don't like to keep the customers waiting," Tom responded.
"Well, then it seems to me that the manager should pitch in to help out," was my thought.
"Are you kidding?" said Tom. "Managers in our company would never do that no matter how long a customer had to wait for a loader. Besides," Tom went on, "the manager is a woman and our managers don't believe that any of the women should do that job."
Tom's situation creates several significant and substantial issues for his management team.
1. If Tom agrees to help out with the loading and sustains further injury, any good personal injury lawyer would love to talk with Tom. Even if Tom agreed to do the loading, any lawyer would argue coercion. A lawyer would also argue that the manager had no business asking Tom to do that job in the first place.
2. It's almost certain that restricting the loader job to men only would fail the BFOQ test (bona fide occupational qualification) that would allow the company that restriction without being subjected to a potential claim of discrimination.
3. Every manager should know that every task done in our department is important. Every manager should also know that any business organization exists to serve the customer. A manager who fails to pitch in and help do a task to serve a customer sends a poor message to everyone who works in their department.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Thought For the Day
When people have plenty of time to gossip, complain, raise petty issues, point the finger, talk behind others backs, and dwell on minor faults, that's often a good indicator that they simply don't have enough work to do.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.
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