ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997 TAG: 9704180031
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: WORKING IT OUT
SOURCE: Camille WRIGHT MILLE
Q: My staff complains frequently about one employee. I've already placed this employee on a plan to correct problems or be terminated. How can I convey to others that I'm addressing the problem - without violating the problem employee's right to confidentiality?
A: Supervisors and managers have the difficult task of holding confidential information as confidential. The ability to meet that commitment is critical to good management. Ask yourself why you want to inform your staff.
Do you think informing them would solidify relationships? If so, recognize the difference between friendship and working relationships. While the line seems to blur, the distinction must remain clear to those in managerial positions.
Do you fear employees losing respect for you, believing you haven't handled a situation? Telling them may relieve them for the moment - but they won't trust you later. You'll be known for violating personnel policies.
Look at the broader picture. Your problem employee will either improve behavior or be terminated, having failed to follow corrective actions. Either way, you will have created the desired result. Your staff will then understand that you dealt with the problem. Short-term relief is rarely worth the trade off of managerial integrity.
Q: My staff is overwhelmed with last-minute requests from others, inside and outside the company, for help with "emergencies." They're responsive and I appreciate that. However, they accept everyone's word that a problem is a crisis. Most aren't emergencies. Because all "emergency" requests are treated as such, my staff is overwhelmed. They've lost perspective on what constitutes a true emergency.
A: Involve your staff in taking charge of their work and learning to use "triage" identification.
Triage guidelines set priorities in medical emergencies - from cases needing immediate attention to those which can safely wait for attention. The concept can be applied to other situations.
Meet with your staff and state your concerns. Ask their help in reviewing the work requests of the past few months. Ask them to separate emergency requests to the following categories: true crisis situations demanding immediate attention, serious cases that could have been delayed, and routine requests with no real urgency.
Be open to the findings. Review may reveal more true emergencies than expected. If so, evaluate your entire system; consider reorganizing and hiring additional staff.
If evaluation finds many non-emergencies are given emergency attention, work with your staff to develop a set of guidelines. Create a set of questions that will be asked of those requesting help in order to place the situation in its proper triage category.
Make sure, once the review is completed, that you're sending clear signals on how you want internal and external clients treated and work priorities set.
Finally, consider whether your staff needs training in assertiveness. The personal tendencies of your staff need some thought before considering the situation resolved.
However you and your staff resolve the situation - more employees or formalized triage procedures - solutions work best for those involved in creating them.
Q. I've had repeated complaints about one employee who talks constantly. I've moved this person and reassigned work in the hopes of keeping the individual busy. Nothing works.
I'm being driven crazy along with everyone else.
A. Employees arrive at work each day with many different needs. These needs can be met until they interfere with work flow and the work of others. When that occurs, the problem must be addressed directly.
Making changes, such as moving someone, rarely works if you haven't made clear what prompted the change. Talk with your employee. Explain that a small amount of talking is expected, but there is a point at which it's distracting.
Draw verbal pictures of the behavior you want. Use "for example..." and other phrases to make clear what behavior you want. Encourage the individual to use time before work, during breaks, and the lunch hour to actively socialize with others.
To help your employee change, you must commit to actively following the behavior for several weeks. As you see the behavior you want, reward it. That can be as simple as expressing appreciation for the efforts to meet your expectations.
If the problem continues, explain it has become a performance issue and will be documented to the personnel file.
Socializing is necessary; however, when it prevents others from working, it is a discipline problem.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 linesby CNB