21Mar/14

Problem Employee? Help is on the Way

March 21, 2014BlogBehavior, Coach, EAP, Managerial Courage, Policy and Procedures, Problem EmployeeVictoria

Frustrated Brown skinned woman in black sweater with both hands on top of her head

Congratulations, you’ve just inherited your first problem employee! His attitude has become negative over the last couple of months and it’s starting to affect the rest of your staff. People are complaining and you finally decide that it’s time to do something. Where do you start?

There’s a saying that 90% of a manager’s time will be required by only 10% of his/her staff. What that really means is that you will spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with the dreaded “problem employee” like the one above. Why? Is it because this is someone who requires your constant personal attention just to get the basic work done? Or is it because you lack the tools and skills necessary to deal with the problem effectively? Maybe, but the problem employee is a problem you (or someone before you) created and now you have to clean up the mess. It’s your fault because you failed to address the issue the minute you recognized it.

WHY SMALL PROBLEMS MUSHROOM

Oftentimes, managers don’t address the little things until they become elephant in the room. Whether it’s because of lack of tools and skills, lack of managerial courage or the need to be politically correct doesn’t matter. Once the problem surfaces, everyone is in reactive mode and that makes it harder fix.

THE KEY

So how do you handle it? Before you sit down with the employee, get prepared. Analyze the situation from your own point of view. Make notes about what you’ve experienced in dealing with the employee and include any information you’ve received from others that validate your observations (no names). Think about how the behavior affects the organization and note the changes you expect to see and when you expect to see them. Then think about the consequences you are willing to offer if no change is seen. Write it all down – work with it until it makes sense. Consult your HR team for guidance on policy and procedures. After you’ve done all that, then you can have the conversation.

THE CONVERSATION

Before you start talking about the things on your list, ask the employee this one question: “IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?” Neither your concern nor the employee’s answer excuses the behavior but it does start the conversation off on the right foot. This is about the employee and how to get them back to being productive. If there is something personal affecting the work, there may be resources (i.e. Employee Assistance Program (EAP), leave of absence, etc.) to help. If there are no outside influences, start addressing the issues. Once the issues are out in the open, it’s time to set a course of action.

State the issues clearly and make sure they’re understood “You yelled at your office mate yesterday. That’s the second time this week”
Let the employee know your expectations – and use the word, don’t tell them what you would “like”, tell them what you “expect”. “Your actions are not acceptable and it is my expectation that it won’t happen again”
Do not include a timeframe (i.e. in no improvement in __ days, then). Improvement must be “immediate and sustained” – again use the exact words. You want them to know that you expect them to do the job correctly from the time your conversation ends until they are no longer employed by the organization. Leave no room for interpretation.
State the consequences if they fail (verbal warning, written warning, termination). Write it down. Basic documentation isn’t difficult. Send a confirming email to the employee acknowledging the conversation and bullet the highlights. That way the next step whether termination or promotion is easy to justify. (Note: develop the habit of using confirming emails with all of your employees on anything important)
Let the employee know that you will routinely monitor and coach to help them succeed – then do it.

The Follow-up

Now it’s time to become the coach. Work with your employee on a regular basis noting progress (or setbacks) and making corrections along the way. Teach, correct, encourage, and reward. Don’t wait for a small problem to mushroom into a big one. Use the above steps the moment you notice the potential for problems. Your staff will thank you for it.

14Mar/14

Is Servant Leadership Right for You?

March 14, 2014BlogInstruction, Leaderhip Strategy, Management, Management by Walking Around, Servant LeadershipVictoria

The idea of the servant leader begins with a mindset. It is the idea that as a leader you are there to take care of the people who work for you. Success is possible because you are able to give your staff what they need (time, knowledge, help etc.) to get the job done without you. Ultimately, your job is to lead yourself out of a job.

There are two things necessary to be a good servant leader. The first is crucial for any type of leadership strategy: Know your people. I’ve talked about this before (click here) and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to establish that one on one relationship with your team members. The second thing required is a deep seeded desire to serve others. You can’t fake this. If you don’t truly believe that you are there to serve your people – find another leadership model because servant leadership is as much about heart as it is about skills.

So what are the attributes of a servant leader? According to Boone and Mahkani a servant leader must be:

Authentic
Vulnerable
Accepting
Present
Useful

Be Authentic:The servant leader is real. This is about your credibility and how it ties into your belief in service. If you don’t believe it- your staff won’t believe you.

Be Vulnerable: Do your followers trust you? In order to be trusted you have to make yourself vulnerable. You people know you are human. Don’t try to pretend that you’re not.

Be Accepting: Along those same lines, realize that your team is made up of human beings. As you get to know them, not only accept them for whom they are but explore ways to use different perspectives, attitudes and values to find solutions.

Be Present: No one follows the absentee manager. Get up from your desk and make your presence known. Practice MBWA (Management by walking around). This is one of the most powerful management tools I have ever encountered. Put down the clipboard and just be out and about. Believe it or not your staff wants to see you. Give them what they want.

Be Useful: This is the heart of service. Be what your people need you to be. If they need physical help, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty – lend a hand. You’ll be surprised at the return on investment. If they need counseling and instruction, provide it. It’s not about what you need from them; rather, it’s about getting them to a place where they are empowered and confident enough to get the job done without you.

Reference:

Boone, L. W., & Makhani, S. (2012). Five Necessary Attitudes of a Servant Leader. Review Of Business, 33(1), 83-96.

21Feb/14

The Dance

February 21, 2014BlogCommunication, Courage, TrustVictoria

Somewhere in the dark, the music starts to play with a low and steady beat. Slowly, two dancers make their way from the back of the room and walk to the middle of the floor. They dance here nightly and the audience gathers round with anticipation because they’re not sure how it will end tonight– they’re never sure. Slowly, Communication holds out his hand silently waiting for Trust to join him in the center of the floor. When she does, he takes her lightly about the waist and starts to glide in small, smooth circles feeling her relax in his arms but suddenly he trips; nothing sensational; just a small misstep which lasts but a fraction of a second but that’s all it takes. The mood is broken and Trust is not as willing a partner as she was a moment ago. She feels uneasy; she now has questions where there were none before. Was it foolish to let her partner lead her around without knowing if he even knew the steps? Trying not to think about it, she cautiously allows him to start again but this time both dancers are wary.

Neither knows what will happen next and Trust is one step away from retreating into the crowd, letting him take his chance with someone else. Communication feels the tension in her movements and tries even harder to guide her smoothly around the floor. The harder he tries, the more he trips. The more he trips, the more she tenses and on it goes until she attempts to retreat to the safety of the silent audience; once again safe in anonymity.

But tonight, an unexpected change occurs. Trust straightens her shoulders and walks back to the center of the floor firmly placing her hand in Communication’s. Her actions relax him, he knows that there will be no more missteps – the message was clear the moment she offered her hand. Slowly they start to glide across the floor and with each step Trust relaxes a little more. As she relaxes, Communication gathers the courage to let the music determine his moves assured that he will not let her fall. As the music ends the pair slowly leaves, passing through the parting crowd – knowing that tomorrow the dance begins again.