Don’t Ignore Employee Issues

We’re in unusual times. Work has been disrupted. People are working from home and managers are concerned about productivity. Even though studies show that employees are more productive when they work offsite, current circumstances are highly unusual. There are some many additional distractions – partners, pets and children. Nevertheless, managers can’t overlook performance issues even when times are tough.

Most of us have never worked in this kind of circumstances before, and we may think there isn’t a playbook on what to do. Actually, there is. Follow your organization’s guidance and policies on performance management. But in times of crises, tread lightly. Here are some thoughts,  

• Empathy. Whatever the issue is, this is the time to be empathetic. That’s not to say you let serious issues slide because we’re in a time of crisis, but go a little slower and gentler than usual before you take any management action.

• Communicate. As in any issue, you’ll want to talk to the employee. This is complicated if you and the employee are not physically in the same place, but you can use Zoom or Skype or other platform your organization uses to communicate virtually.

• Get the facts. Ask open ended questions and listen carefully to responses. Your intent is to get the employee’s perspective. The key here is to keep an open mind. You may think you understand the issue or situation, but you may not have all the facts.

• Clarify. Clear up any misunderstandings about your expectations. Clarity on expectations is extremely important to a successful working relationship.

Yes, even during a pandemic, employees behave badly at work—even if they’re working from their own home. Relaxed environments and atmospheres break down boundaries. There have been concerns about on-line harassment and cyberbullying. At the same time, everyone’s stress level is high. Remind employees that your conduct policies still apply even in a drastically changed workplace, and follow your disciplinary processes if you decide action is required.

The Manager’s Answer Book provides a roadmap for coaching and counseling employees.  See page 59 to 61 for actions you can take to help an employee get back on track—even during a pandemic. In this time of crisis, we suggest you grant a bit more grace than usual; but no matter the employee issue, deal with it in a timely and professional manner.

Facts not Fiction

I sat there staring at the memo he handed me. Something about it, about him, didn’t seem right. His eyes were glancing out the window, avoiding me. “Brett, let me review this memo and her file. It’s getting late. We can talk tomorrow.”  He agreed and left. 

I immediately went to the file room to retrieve her file. This was before things were digital—we dealt with paper and hard copies. Strange, I thought. A copy of the memo, allegedly written two months earlier, wasn’t in her file. I looked at the basket of papers next to the file cabinet.  In it were papers waiting to be filed. It wasn’t that full—I looked through it—no memo.

I stuck my head out the door and summoned Cary, my assistant. “Are there any other papers, anywhere in the department, to be filed?”  He shook his head. “No ma’am. That’s it,” he said gesturing to the basket in my hand. 

“Okay, then.  And by the way,” I said setting the basket down and picking up the file, “I’ll have Trina Black’s file locked in my office overnight. 

When I met with Brett next morning I explained I had thoroughly searched but had not located a copy of the memo in the employee file. I was bracing for his reaction and not expecting the response I received. He sheepishly glanced down and said, “I know.”

“So if I understand correctly, Brett, this memo—a final warning—was written recently, even though it’s dated two months ago, and Trina never received it.”  He nodded yes. “You realize,” I continued, “we can’t act on this false document and terminate her at this time.”  Once again, he nodded yes. 

When I confronted Brett about the missing memo that morning I was expecting a conflict would result.  I imagined him arguing that we’d lost the memo, and that Trina was incompetent and had to be fired. Instead, confronted with facts—facts he couldn’t refute—he had no option but to agree with me. The lack of the memo being sent contemporaneously to the employee’s file implied that Brett had not followed protocol nor warned Trina, not giving her an opportunity to change. He ultimately admitted that to me.  

Workplace issues—differing opinions, poor employee behavior or performance—can quickly lead to conflict.  When you get to the underlying facts, conflicts or problems can be avoided or solved. Fact-finding is critical to problem solving and conflict.  We devoted a chapter to it, “What’s the Problem?” in The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook. 

April is Workplace Conflict Awareness Month—a good time to refresh and share your conflict management skills. And what better way to do that than to share copies of The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook with your team.  You can find it on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/y8qy4msz. After you’ve read it, could you consider putting an honest review on Amazon?  We’d be grateful and honored.  We also would love to help you spread the word on your podcasts or be interviewed for your blog. 

Having Fun at Work? A Tip from The Manager’s Answer Book

Wait a minute—isn’t having fun at work an oxymoron?  Isn’t work supposed to be serious just because it’s WORK? Yes, of course—work is serious, unless you’re lucky enough to be a comedy writer or circus clown, but aren’t there ways we can still have some fun at work and still be productive?

Our answer to this question is that not only can you have fun at work, there are good business reasons why you should bring some levity into your organization—none the least of which is that fun at work has a positive impact on your bottom line!

Make sure what you do to lighten the mood at work is not the kind of fun at someone else’s expense—that’s when issues like harassment, bias, and potential bullying pop up but if you know your employees well, I’ll bet you can come up some fun ideas that also might stimulate creativity as well! 

Manager’s Tip:  In The Manager’s Answer Book and give you some no or low-cost examples of things you can try including:

• Theme days
• Trivia contests
• Game days
• Ice breakers at staff meetings
• Improv sessions
• Celebrations for meeting deadlines
• Potlucks, chili cookoffs, tail gate parties

The list of things you can do is endless but be respectful of boundaries. Be sure that you as the manager participate along with other senior managers so your employees see a different side of you!

For more on having fun at work, see page 165 of The Manager’s Answer Book. Which is available at Amazon.com, https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble, or your local independent bookstore.