Why Can't I Have Flex Time?

This is the final installment of a conversation I recently had with a friend; a manager who has some issues regarding remote employees. You may want to read the post for yesterday and the day before first.

"You know," said my friend, "It's not just the remote employees that are a problem. It's the on site people too. They see the off site employees coming and going, sometimes here, often not, and yet the on site people have to be here everyday. They know that off site employees don't work to a strict time table. They know that off site employees can structure their work and personal lives to suit their own needs. They know that on site people can't do that."

Hmmmm, I thought. Is this really a new phenomenon? As far back as I can remember, employees with set schedules have looked at employees with flex time and wondered "Why can't I have flex time?"

My answer has always been quite clear. "Any employee who works in a job that allows flex time can have it as long as business conditions allow it. But many of our jobs don't have flex time because of job conditions and/or customer requirements. If you work for me in a job that doesn't allow flex time then I encourage you to put your name in for consideration when we do have a flex time job open up. If you are the best person for that flex time job we will be happy to give it to you. If not, we encourage you to apply in the future when other flex time jobs open up. But in the meantime, since your job does not allow for flex time, we expect you to work your hours as scheduled, with reasonable adjustments for personal needs granted if and when business conditions allow it."

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.

The Missing Piece

I just finished reading a homework assignment focused on an employee whose lifestyle balance between home and work is skewed toward home. "It seems she is so happy to leave work to go home that she rushes through her work and takes no joy in doing her job." While the actual work effort is adequate, this employee has little actual interest in her work and has less than adequate working relationships with her co-workers.

In addressing the issues, the supervisor had a very comprehensive plan for coaching, counseling and corrective actions. It would begin with the supervisor reciting her impressions and concerns, moving from there to a statement of impact of the negative behaviors, and from there moving to specific corrective action steps. All in all, a very good job by the supervisor, but it lacked one important piece.

The supervisor needs to know how the employee sees things. What is the employee's perspective on her job? What does she like? Doesn't like? What is the employee's perception of her co-workers? Department goals, standards and requirements? What are the employee's interests? What are her concerns? What is her motivation for working? What would make her work more interesting to her? And so forth.

Without these pieces of information, the supervisor's plan may well fail to address issues that are key to the employee.

About me: Dan Pelley is an educator specializing in management training and development programs for supervisors and other first-line managers in Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA) and Rhode Island (RI). The issue recited above came from a participant in one of his supervisory management development programs.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.

Dealing With Negative Tweets

Today's post continues our look at "millennial employee issues," the subject matter of the last two days. You may want to read those posts first.

Should an employee use personal communications devices to perform personal tasks at work? We dealt with that on Monday. What if one employee texts a derogatory remark to another employee? We dealt with that yesterday. What if an employee makes negative comments about the company, co-workers, customers, their boss, etc. on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.?

Of course that's not good. But what exactly can you do about things employee's do on their personal time outside of work that reflect poorly on the company. Especially an employee who does all the right things at work (Dr. Jekyll) and is just the opposite outside (Mr. Hyde).

If you have a well-written legally correct policy covering social networking, then you should be able to deal with violations of the policy as a disciplinary issue. Understand though, that because of "employee rights to privacy" and "freedom of speech" issues, a policy covering social networking using company time and equipment must be carefully written. And while it's possible to write a social networking policy covering employee activities outside of work, those must be even more carefully written. Such a policy should also be thoroughly reviewed by an attorney specializing in employment law prior to being issued. None-the-less, as with so many other issues we deal with as managers, written policies, procedures and guidelines can definitely help with social networking issues. Click here to read an article on this topic written by the Baird Holm law firm for the Nebraska Bankers Association.

But what if you don't have a written policy. Then your task of dealing with the issue becomes far more difficult. But not necessarily impossible if you have a good rapport with your employees. Along with good leadership skills. And if you are skilled at a counseling technique called moral suasion. What's that? It's the subject of our February 24, 2009 post titled "Do Me a Favor - Discipline." Click here to go directly to that post.

About me: Before becoming a full time educator, my career experiences included being vice president of a consulting firm, vice president - finance of a publishing company, vice president - sales support services for a manufacturing company and vice president - operations for a distribution company. As a full time educator working principally in Rhode Island (RI), Connecticut (CT) and Massachusetts (MA). I am pleased to share my experiences and business philosophies with managers at all levels.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.

Cut the Baloney

Yesterday's post dealt with a difficult employee who was an uncooperative insubordinate poor performer. It's amazing to me how I continue to hear such stories in this dismal economy with its severe unemployment. I have difficulty understanding why any company accepts such behavior. Especially since so many good people wish they had a job.

Now is the time to cut the baloney. Weed out the poor performers. The attitude problems. The people who do the minimum to get by. The people who are here just for the paycheck. People who are uncooperative. Insubordinate. Who just don't care. There's simply no logical reason to tolerate such behavior in this labor market.

Oh I know. You have to have cause. And you have to follow the counseling and disciplinary procedures in your company. You have to make your case and make it stick. But if you have truly difficult people who can't be turned around, salvaged and saved then you should already be working the process and making your case. If you've procrastinated and haven't started yet, then shame on you.

About me: Before becoming a full time educator, my career experiences included being vice president of a consulting firm, vice president - finance of a publishing company, vice president - sales support services for a manufacturing company and vice president - operations for a distribution company. As a full time educator working principally in Rhode Island (RI), Connecticut (CT) and Massachusetts (MA). I am pleased to share my experiences and business philosophies with managers at all levels.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.

Not Acceptable

A supervisor told me of a customer service representative trainee who appears to be a lost cause. She has a cold personality and comes across to customers as being uncaring, distant and aloof. She views her job as a means to a paycheck and nothing more. Her attitude toward helping other CSRs is "what's in it for me?" The supervisor recites that her training is not going well as she refuses to seek answers to customer questions. Instead, she refers them (passes them off to) more experienced CSRs. The supervisor also notes that her personality tends to scare people away. The supervisor then went on to tell me that the company may be reluctant to let her go as "she would be the type to file a lawsuit against the company."

Assuming the facts are as the facts were recited to me, my reaction is pure and simple. Her behavior is not acceptable. Period. A CSR must have a warm, caring and professional relationship with customers of all types. A CSR must have the ability to "own the customer's problem" and see it through to resolution. An employee who doesn't want to help other employees is not a team player. An employee who refuses to do anything that is legitimately requested of them is insubordinate. An employee who views their job as a means to a paycheck has no place in a company that strives for excellence.

If in fact a company fears terminating a poorly performing individual, then that poorly performing individual wins. The customers lose. The co-workers lose. The supervisors lose. The company loses. Of course a terminated employee can always sue. But a well documented case of dismissal for non-performance of duties, lack of cooperation and insubordination should survive a legal challenge.

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.

The Abrasive Achiever

A manager had a very good employee with a very bad trait. An employee who does a significant quantity of work with good results. An employee who asks the manager to set priorities when the workload is getting heavy, and also alerts the manager when a job will not meet the deadline.

Unfortunately the employee is also quite abrasive to co-workers who disrupt his work with questions, or requests for information or assistance. With little or no tact he lets them know just how much of a workload he has, how busy he is, and how their disruption is an imposition.

Sounds to me like the manager is dealing with an abrasive achiever; a person with a high focus on achievement of task, and a low focus on working with other people. This sort of person loves to blast through a heavy backlog of work while meeting all goals including quality and timeliness so they can gain recognition for outstanding performance and results. They tend to get frustrated and angry when anything disrupts their forward momentum, and their forceful, driven nature causes them to have little patience or tact when dealing with the disruption.

The end result is not good for department teamwork or harmony. Relationships with co-workers become strained, morale suffers. On the other hand, we don't like to be critical and possibly demoralize one of our "best" workers when it comes to getting things done. What to do?

Guard against overloading the achiever with so much work they have little time to assist others. Achievers will generally take on as much work as you can give them and then try to get it all done. When there is an overload of work, the achiever puts their head down and works even harder, under increasing pressure and with a rising stress level which intensifies focus on getting it done and an increases awareness that a deadline may be missed. Along comes a co-worker with an innocent question and the achiever snaps.

Also realize that when you give an achiever a slightly lighter workload, they are usually quite willing to help co-workers as part of the achiever's need to fill the day with things to do.

Just how much work should be given to your achiever will always be a balancing act and a judgment call. Hopefully the guidance above will help. But you also must make sure your achiever clearly understands that, no matter how great their individual workload, abrasiveness, rudeness, lack of cooperation and respect for others are not acceptable behaviors and cannot and will not be tolerated.

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.

Analyzing Performance Problems

Yesterday's post presented a key question to consider when you have an employee performance problem. Are you facing an issue of skill and thus need to coach and train, or are you facing a question of will and thus need to counsel and discipline? You may want to read that post first.

I was first introduced to the skill versus will question in a wonderful book, "Analyzing Performance Problems," first edition, by Robert Mager and Peter Pipe. The book was a gift from Bill Ahearn, former Director of Human Resources for Newport Creamery Restaurants. Bill had originally purchased a copy for himself and was so impressed by the merits of the book that he purchased several additional copies to give to others including myself.

This is one of the finest management books I have ever read. I began recommending it as soon as I finished reading it for the first time, over 2o years ago. The current version of the book is the third edition which I purchased when it was issued in 1997. It continues to be a wonderful resource for managers who must deal with employee performance problems. Even better, unlike so many other management books, it's easy to read. And you can read it conventionally, chapter by chapter, beginning to end, and gain a tremendous amount of information.

But you can also use the book dynamically as it is organized as a decision tree. Indeed the third edition includes a copy of the complete decision tree as a fold-out in the back of the book. You use the book dynamically by having a particular situation involving an individual employee in mind. As you come to each question (decision point) in the book you answer the question based on the situation you have in mind. Then you jump to the topic in the book indicated by your answer to the question. In a dynamic fashion you are skipping over information not applicable to your current situation, and instead follow a path reflecting the current situation. You end up with a tightly focused concise set of information that recommends how to deal very specifically with the particular problem for the individual employee who has the performance problem.

Over the years I've always wanted to add a bookstore to my website at danpelley.com. The carrying cost of inventory and other logistical issues have prevented me from doing that. But I have added a recommended reading list to this blog and currently present the four management books that I favor most as valuable resources. "Analyzing Performance Problems" is of course one of these books. You'll find the recommended reading list in the right-hand column of the blog just above "The Icon Me" on the green bar. If you'd like to purchase the book from Amazon, you can click on the title in the recommended reading list and go directly to that book's listing at Amazon.

If you choose to purchase the book from Amazon or another bookstore or even decide to check it out at the library, I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on the book.

About me: Dan Pelley offers a series of five programs leading to a Certificate in Supervisory Management. The five programs are "Managing People,: "Leadership Skills," "Managing For Results," "Proactive Leadership," and "Participative Management." 137 companies in Connecticut (CT), Rhode Island (RI), Massachusetts (MA) and New York have one or more people who earned this certificate.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.

A Key Question Regarding Difficult Employees

Yesterday I did my seven hour "Understanding the Difficult Employee" program in Colchester, CT. As we talked about gathering facts and creating an impact statement, I presented a key question to ask whenever a manager has to deal with an employee performance problem: "Is it a question of skill, or is it a question of will?"

If it is a question of skill, in effect you are saying "My employee has the will; they want to do the job. They want to do a good job. In fact they would do a good job; it's just that they don't know how to do the job." In that case you'll proceed with coaching and teaching the skill. You'll also think about questions such as prior experience, aptitude and ability to learn.

On the other hand if it is a question of will, in effect you are saying "My employee has the skill; they know how to do the job. They know how to do a good job. In fact they could do a good job; it's just that they don't want to do the job." In that case all the coaching and teaching in the world isn't going to help you. You need to move towards counseling and discipline, and you'll also want to consider things like personal interests, career goals and motivation.

When a manager says "I have a difficult employee," the overwhelming majority of the time you can bet that the issue is not one of skill. Thus our "Handling the Difficult Employee" program focuses on motivation, personal interests, counseling and discipline.

I also have to credit Robert Mager and Peter Pipe for introducing me to the concept of skill versus will. More about them in tomorrow's post.

About me: Dan Pelley conducts training programs for supervisors in the New England states, with a concentration in Massachusetts (MA), Connecticut (CT) and Rhode Island (RI). "Handling the Difficult Employee can also be presented on-site at your location. Visit our website (click here) or e-mail (click here) for more information.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.

Seats Available

Yesterday was a very busy day in Colchester, CT. Our four-hour "Interview Skills" program was held in the morning, and our four-hour "Effective Performance Appraisals" program was held in the afternoon. Both programs were "sold out." These were two of the three "Special Programs at a Special Price" posted on March 26, 2009. One program remains and 8 seats are available as of today.

Handling the Difficult Employee is offered on Thursday May 14, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. From the lazy slacker to the angry aggressor. From the negative thinker who drains our energy to the bubbling socialite who drains our time. From the chronically tardy to the chronically unhappy, this program deals with them all. Why they do it. The single most important question to ask. Two rules to handle the situation. And what to do if you can't. Click here to see a detailed statement of learning objectives.

This program is open to anyone who doesn't mind travelling to Colchester, CT -- about 20 minutes west of Norwich, CT. The hosting company is easy to reach, has plenty of parking and good program facilities. Better yet, the program is offered at $100.00 per person and includes all program materials and refreshments. Lunch will be on your own from noon to 1:00 (with several kinds of restaurants from fast food to gourmet located nearby).Seating is limited to 20 people per program. Click here to register on-line.

As with all of my programs, you will not find a lot of theory and smoke. You won't find a "back table" loaded with books for sale and a presentation designed to sell those books. What you will find is solid practical information developed on sound principles and presented in a way that allows participants to immediately apply program concepts directly to the job. Our limited class size ensures time for all questions. And our "Challenge the Instructor" exercise allows you to pose your most difficult situations (anonymously if you wish) and receive solid answers back.

Even if Colchester is quite a drive for you, this program is definitely worth the trip. Click here to register on-line before this program is also sold out.

About me: Dan Pelley conducts training programs for supervisors in the New England states, with a concentration in Massachusetts (MA), Connecticut (CT) and Rhode Island (RI). "Handling the Difficult Employee," "Effective Performance Appraisals," and "Interviewing Skills" can also be presented on-site at your location. Call for quotation.

Copyright © 2009 Daniel W. Pelley
All rights reserved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
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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.

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
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