Published
Articles
Originally
Published in Tanning Trends (April,
2000)
Dealing
Positively with Problem Employees
The
chances are quite high that at some point you'll hire a bad apple
who needs to be dealt with and you'll have to know how to handle
the situation. Unfortunately, most managers aren't sure how to deal
with problem employees and too often use a reaction-based approach
that results in an ineffective display of raw emotion. So, what's
the best way to confront an employee with behavioral problems?
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prime
pointers:
Avoid
the five common mistakes managers make.
1.
Speaking too quickly without thinking it through.
2.
Not explaining why the employees' behavior is unacceptable
and making sure they understand why.
3.
Perceiving it as weak to compliment or pat an employee
on the back.
4.
Not following up after a discussion.
5.
Not being able to separate their management status and
act accordingly.
Source:
Dennis W. Hoppe
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The first step,
according to management expert Dennis W Hoppe, is to address the problem
as soon as it begins. "The fresher it is in everyone's mind,
the more likely the discussion will be effective." Hoppe, who
is President of Change Management Implementation, Inc., advises managers
to maintain control of their emotions at all times and suggests planning
out the discussion beforehand. "if you're steamed and do not
feel it would be productive, sleep on it, think about what you're
going to say and if you still feel the same way in the morning, go
for it."
A simple mistake
many managers make, according to Hoppe, is to beat around the bush
when they do confront the employee. "You need to get to the
real issue," he said." Get personal and to the root of
the issue and resolve it." Employees need to be reprimanded
according to company rules; but if a pattern develops, employers
must find out what's fueling the behavior and not simply punish
every single breach of the rules - there's usually one isolated
factor. "Most employees resent write-ups but respect effective
communication." Hoppe opposes punishing employees and feels
it works against any goals of rehabilitation. "I have never
seen punishment work," he notes. "If it is that serious,
fire them. It is much better to work on the issue, correct it as
a team, set benchmarks and work towards a positive result."
Any employee/employer
conflict is bound to he touchy and could easily turn into a personal
attack. This could not only cause potential legal troubles for the
manager and owner but is unquestionably unproductive in bettering
the situation. "If necessary, send the employee off-site or
home for a cooling off period," said Hoppe. "To have a
productive win-win discussion, both sides have to be cooled off".
The best solution, according to Hoppe, is to approach the employee
with a clear head and with positive and mutually fair solutions.
The key is to be clear in getting your point across - stick to the
facts and try to avoid too much of your personal opinion. "Don't
get suckered into a discussion that leads off into tangents which
have nothing to do with the original topic or force you to state
your opinions."
Sounds quick
and relatively painless, right? Well, it won't work if you leave
it at that. It is absolutely essential to follow up, according to
Hoppe. "The follow-up is everything," he said. "Otherwise,
you come across as a hollow or shallow manager or owner. If the
topic was important enough to discuss, it is important enough to
follow up on later" Hoppe maintains that if a follow-up does
not occur, it essentially negates the conversation and encourages
future mistrust.
So, how do you
turn a troublemaker into a productive employee? Hoppe's advice is
simple: Treat every employee the way you'd like to be treated and
work hard to catch problems in the early stages. "Work with
them from the moment you hire them. Be aware and try to sense when
any potential issues might be brewing," he said. "Remember,
it may have nothing to do with the company. It could he a family
problem or some unrelated issue."
It is possible
to reap positive results from this kind of negative situation, but
it can also cause long-term headaches for owners and managers if
handled poorly. The solution is simple: Treat every conflict seriously
and pay close attention to your employees. "Hit the issue head-on,
be clear, get the employee to feed back to you in his or her words
what you said and reach a reasonable understanding of what changes
are required."
Linn
Haugestad Edvardsen is senior associate editor of Tanning
Trends magazine. She encourages readers to submit ideas
for this monthly column, which is devoted to assisting
salon owners and operators in creating a more professional
environment. Direct suggestions to linn@smarttan.com. |
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Dennis Hoppe is President of Change Management Implementation, Inc. in Brockport, NY. He has been a small business advisor to owners of hundreds of companies since 1989. Visit his web sites at www.dhoppe.com and www.hmcexecutivecoaching.com, or call him at 800-724-3525.
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