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I heard you were doing X, is that the case? If yes: Ok in future don't do X. If no: That's good because X is not allowed. In either case you and them are now on the same page about X and it would be a disciplinary matter if it happened in future. If necessary explain why X is not allowed.
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May 20, 2015 02:12
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 14:53 |
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If you go tell someone off based only on another employee's info you risk walking into a situation where they just give you a totally different story and you get nowhere. Document the complaint, try to witness it yourself, document it, then go in with all your ammo if you want it resolved on the spot. Also if you go around reprimanding people based only on what you have heard people will start using you to get people they dont like in trouble.
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May 20, 2015 08:51
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Felix_Cat posted:I heard you were doing X, is that the case? Someone else should be there when this conversation happens, and there should be a written record of it. The old "He told me to suck his dick and he'd make this all go away" bullshit still happens. Keep a written/audio record when disciplining or admonishing. IANAL, but I've been indoctrinated with this poo poo for the last 10 years in the bar/nightclub industry.
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May 20, 2015 09:27
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Abu Dave posted:That said, it seems almost impossible to tell young people to stop using their loving cellphones. It's like they can't go a hour without checking facebook. It's insane. At the restaurant my brother manages, they banned people from using their cellphones during work hours. This is not going to be workable at an office, though, probably.
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May 20, 2015 18:45
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Cool thanks for the tips guys. I know the person who reported them wants ME to get in trouble and make it seem like I can't control them which is bullshit, so I put little into what they said in the first place, but atleast I know how to handle it on the employee end now.
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May 20, 2015 19:53
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Abu Dave posted:That said, it seems almost impossible to tell young people to stop using their loving cellphones. It's like they can't go a hour without checking facebook. It's insane. If it's affecting productivity, reprimand/write them up for it. If it isn't, who cares?
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May 20, 2015 22:27
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Shooting Blanks posted:If it's affecting productivity, reprimand/write them up for it. If it isn't, who cares? Yeah, you know what really affects productivity? Not treating employees like responsible and valuable members of the company. Want to be a good manager? No silly restrictions about visiting certain websites (within reason), sponsor a night out on the company dime a couple times a year, make good coffee available, and most importantly, shield your direct reports from as much bullshit as possible. I swear I keep seeing the same pattern time and time again. Great company, flexible and generous, starts trying to lean down and loses the best people, builds up mountains of process and loses momentum and stops being able to kick out products efficiently.
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May 20, 2015 23:32
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Let me give you the biggest piece of advice to be successful as a manager: deal with the difficult situations. Show your employees that you have a spine and that you will stand up to them or for them when the time comes. I recently had a manager who was just so wishy washy about everything. I found myself in a really difficult situation that needed to be handled, and their response was basically to try and do the least to keep me happy. But when the time came that I needed concrete action from them, they were unwilling to go to bat for me. But they also weren't willing to stand up to me and point out what I was doing wrong. It was frustrating like all hell. I switched managers, and it's night and day. Even though my current manager doesn't address the situation in the way I would want to see it addresses, this manager is at least doing something about it. And that gives me something to work with and it makes me feel like there's progress happening rather than me getting jerked around because my previous manager couldn't show some backbone. Seriously. When people see that something is wrong and you won't deal with it, it really impacts morale in a negative way. And don't worry about having to get it right. Sometimes, doing something shows people that you at least care. Abu Dave posted:My old boss is vindicative as gently caress also and trying her best to make me fail. I wish there was something I can do. How did you guys deal with people who where vindictive? Don't get dragged into it. Always be the bigger person. I've dealt with vindictive people, and usually, people can see right through their bullshit. People can see they're out to knock people down, and eventually, they'll go too far. Don't get them the satisfaction or the ammo of getting into it. After all, when I was a manager, I found that the people who complained the most about the other employees tended to be the people who gave me the most trouble with their behavior. Abu Dave posted:What would you guys suggest if someone else saw something and reported a co worker for doing it? My old boss told me I should "reprimand them that it's not okay to do their nail polish at work", but if I didn't see it, and they don't do it when i'm there, then I feel like I shouldn't yell at them unless I have a more reliable source. This is a hard one. You're not always going to see everything that goes on. For the big stuff, try to corroborate the information you're getting and see what happened. For situations like this, if it is a one-off situation or something you don't hear about regularly, then occasionally reiterate the rules to people. If you hear a lot of it, find the root cause. Maybe you need to spend more time observing your employees. Make sure you have a presence. If it's ticky tack, don't make a big deal about it. And if someone is using it as an excuse to get out of getting reprimanded, my answer is that it was irrelevant to the situation we are discussing, and if I observe that, I will handle it. A skill you're going to have to learn is determining when someone is presenting you with a legitimate issue that needs to be addressed, and when they're giving you some ticky-tack complaint that's just being petty. Some people want to stir up drama. I've even told someone that they need to stop coming to me for every minor infraction of the rules because all it does is get them angry, since I'm not going to write someone up because they took a 16 minute break instead of the 15 minutes they had. Yes. That happened to me.
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May 21, 2015 01:48
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Yeah this is basically on that scale of the last thing you mentioned. We've never really had write ups or anything, let alone a HR department. The new General Manager is trying to change things and doing a hell of a job, but I just don't feel right yelling at people for stuff I didn't see and can't confirm. It just seems sketchy. I've brought the subject up and they've admitted to it, and I told them it's wrong but I just know this one other person is looking like a hawk for any way to make me look like I don't have control. Oh well. Thanks for the great post.
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May 21, 2015 03:09
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Information is gold in pretty much any management situation. Have a confidant or two among the staff that is willing to feed you information that you wouldn't otherwise be privy to as a manager. You're not going to act on the majority of this information, but simply having an awareness of all the pieces on the board will keep you two steps ahead of everyone, and in time your staff will respect and even kind of fear your superhuman knowledge. This will keep them in line more often than swift and decisive punishment. You are become Big Brother. Be careful though, you don't want your confidant to get caught because not only will you have a social pariah in the office, you lose your source of information. So any time you confront an employee with an issue your confidant has made you aware of, it has to be with evidence you have subsequently gathered yourself. It would be wise to make such a position an attractive one, while also providing some measure of security for your confidant. My coach in college was very strict about when we could and could not drink and party during the season, and he chose to overlook most of the minor infractions, but his source on the team was so good that he was actually able to intervene one night when one of our teammates got alcohol poisoning and everyone was too scared of the repercussions to take her to the hospital (the doctor later said she would have died if they waited one more hour). Never underestimate the capacity of the human mind to rationalize anything when the threat of punishment is a factor. It was all going to be okay because she could just sleep it off guys, seriously. Another time one of our teammates had stolen another teammates phone and sent a bunch of crude things to her friends and loved ones. This had scared the hell out of her parents, who assumed she was having a psychotic/depressive episode and called the cops. Our coach knew exactly who it was because it was basically this kid's modus operandi when it came to dumb pranks and had made the mistake of admitting as much to the one person who had open lines of communication with the coach. This person confided in me that he was worried about being seen as "the rat" in this situation if he went right to the coach, so I advised him to express these fears to the coach before saying anything. Our coach did nothing in this situation, for he had no real proof, but you better believe the next time this idiot inevitably hosed up he was gone. When he rose a stink about it, all the coach had to say was "I know what you did" to frighten him into compliance. A lot of information can be gleaned from nothings, inaction and misdirection; put yourself in their shoes and learn how to analyze motivations.Knowing what people are up to will help you begin to pick up on patterns and "tells" that people in your organization will give away before they take certain actions. When you can analyze what your vindictive coworker is planning to do next to antagonize you, you can plan accordingly and thwart her efforts or arrange to have a superior conveniently with or around you at just the right moment to catch her in the act. Eventually you will become such an unattractive target that you'll find petty antagonizing acts to be a thing of the past. PS. A note about covering your rear end when "he made me suck his dick to make it go away" accusations pop up, a lot of states deem 1-consent party recordings to be inadmissible in court, so it's best that if you plan to record what you know is going to be an unpleasant conversation, that you add a little disclaimer at the beginning where you fully disclose that you're recording the conversation for your own protection. If you neglect to do that however, I'm sure just sending them a copy of the recording would scare them into dropping any frivolous lawsuits they may have against you. Results may vary and check your local laws regarding the matter. Cover your rear end financially too. Keep all invoices and accounting information locked in a safe that only you have access to. Everyone loves an easy scapegoat and you want to make it impossible for that to be you. I know a guy getting sued for money laundering in a situation where his bosses (the owners and founders) pinned everything on him. He has enough legitimate proof to dispute 99% of the allegations against him and he's still been locked in an expensive legal battle for years. Imagine if he had nothing. speshl guy fucked around with this message at 04:15 on May 21, 2015 |
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May 21, 2015 04:12
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Some others hit the nail over the bat, but here are some more.. #1) be honest. Maybe a situation sucks, or a "needy customer" will come in. It happens. but things get better, it is probably not the end of the world. Just don't stick your head in the sand and hope it will go away, either - because it won't for your employees. #2) Stealing this one from Secretary of State Colin Powell.... "get mad, then get over it." If someone does something you're not happy with or does it in a way you don't prefer to, it's ok to be upset. But get over it. if you hold things against people, it makes you a bad manager. I have a personal rule called the "2 beer" or "2 wine rule." If, you get an email or something that makes you really upset, then just step out of it for a moment (or hold off on it. You can draft the email but never click send!). Chill out, have a beer/glass of wine. Then have another. If, after both of those, you still feel that strongly about it, then go ahead and say it because your mind wasn't going to change anyway. If it's something you feel can let go, then let it go. #3) get over yourself.. share the credit. if someone else comes up with an idea, make that known. From having been on the other side of that there is little that is more demoralizing or dividing than a boss who takes all the credit. A good manager doesn't get mad if his subordinates are promoted - that means you're good at managing. #4) goes back to 2 and 3... share the blame, too. If it's their fault, it's their fault. See how it happened, make a fix or have a talk if necessary, then life goes on. #5) is don't lose your cool. like trust or reputation it's hard to get, but easy to lose. If your employees lose confidence in you, it is very hard to manage them. they won't even listen to you. #6) Communication and Micromanagement are not the same thing. Communication is vitally important. You do not need to know every detail unless a situation comes up. However, you should know enough about that situation. If it happens you don't know, then tell your boss you'll check into it and let them know soon. Then find out, get mad, have a talk with the person who didn't inform you in time, then get over it. People absolutely loathe a micromanager and will quit. #6.5) is Communication on your behalf.. state what you want, what you expect, clearly. If you're being subtle about things, don't get upset if people don't pick up on it or get a different meaning. Happens all the time. But honestly this skill is acquired through experience. #7) that said, some people need direction or to be micromanaged. Figure out who these people are, quick, and then give them whatever tasks you have the most direction for. If you have anyone who is itching for management training, putting said person under them is a good way to figure out their management style and approach. (This is good if you have to do employee evaluation) #8) is to tell your employees to come up with ideas, or disagree with you, or challenge you. But they should know you are the person who makes the decisions, or suggests it to The Powers That Be. It does not have to be the popular one. But they should follow you regardless of whatever that decision is. #9) is people will do things different from you. It can be a real pet peeve. but going back to micromanaging, it does not have to be "your specific way". Have flexibility and what counts most is the task being done correctly. How to have that talk is another story but "some advice" might work. if someone is being insubordinate to you - that is the time to pull out the H.R. "my way or the highway" card. #10) do what you can for your workers. if your boss's boss makes a lovely decision and you can't override it, then try to work around it. if they need training, fight for it. There's always a way. If you support and stick up for your workers, that goes in your favor further than anything else. #11) "No." in customer service this is often a misconception that you're not allowed to say no.. don't be afraid of saying it, but don't make a habit out of it either. If someone's being rude or trying to game your system or whatever, it's OK to tell them no. They're probably better off elsewhere, anyway. And if your boss chews you out on it, your employees don't hold that against you. Your employees will probably also respect you more for having the cojones to back them up. #12) An inch or a mile... dont let people walk all over you. you can do them a favor but if you do so, make sure that is known. (and if it is professional or personal favor). Otherwise they can just ask for more and more and more... #13) There is a saying: "Trust, but verify. Then go with your gut instinct" If someone comes to you with a problem, try to independently verify it before taking any action. If you are having trouble making any decision, just go with what your gut says. The exception to this rule is if it's life or death situation. (whatever your actions are in those types, accept responsiblity for them.) #14) Morale is often overlooked but ties up everything above. even the simplest things, like pizza, team lunch, bbq on weekend, or happy hour after, can go a long way. If you budget a small amount (8 people is less than $200 for a quarterly one?), people will be more forthcoming with you. The reality is that happier workers will do better jobs in customer service. that said keep work, work. and keep personal, personal. You can be your employee's friend. They'll probably appreciate you more if you are. But know that you will have to make a choice, probably an unpopular one, sometime. And that shouldn't be personal.
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May 21, 2015 15:39
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 14:53 |
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Those are all amazing tips I believe and I thank you for your time writing them. I will try to incorporate them all. My old boss told my new boss that I told someone that "she'll pay her dues" after a while, which is nonsense. It's the type of petty poo poo that I'll deal with. My boss knew it was bologna, but I guess all I can do is roll with the punches and try my best to protect my staff. 
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May 21, 2015 23:55
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