How do you deal with troublesome employees??
Discussion
One of my friends is having a hard time at the moment, she thinks that she is being too deemanding on her employees, yet one of them let a major project fall behind in spite and didn't tell her (thinks her job should be his, etc) now she is looking into getting rid of him.
She doesn't want this kind of thing to happen again, so any ideas from the PH collective as to how such a situation can be best avoided in the future?
I have suggested the following:
Her employees send her regular progress reports. (really too many people to do this).
Be open enough to ask for help if falling behind agreed deadlines.
Sort out a rating system so more resource can be assigned if a single project gets into problems.
Any of you manager type people out there able to come up with any more suggestions so that she can keep on top of things, bear in mind she has too many employees to read all progress sent and your tried and tested ideas would be ideal.
No whips and slave driving allowed...
She doesn't want this kind of thing to happen again, so any ideas from the PH collective as to how such a situation can be best avoided in the future?
I have suggested the following:
Her employees send her regular progress reports. (really too many people to do this).
Be open enough to ask for help if falling behind agreed deadlines.
Sort out a rating system so more resource can be assigned if a single project gets into problems.
Any of you manager type people out there able to come up with any more suggestions so that she can keep on top of things, bear in mind she has too many employees to read all progress sent and your tried and tested ideas would be ideal.
No whips and slave driving allowed...
When I was co-ordinating the refurbishment of a national chain's food halls trying to keep track of over 350 schemes was a nightmare.
Easiest way I found was to set up a schedule with target dates and achieved dates to be updated every week.
This might mot be suitable in this instance so I'd probably give him a sideways promotion and make him someone else's problem
Easiest way I found was to set up a schedule with target dates and achieved dates to be updated every week.
This might mot be suitable in this instance so I'd probably give him a sideways promotion and make him someone else's problem
ProPlus said:
I have suggested the following:
Her employees send her regular progress reports. (really too many people to do this).
Be open enough to ask for help if falling behind agreed deadlines.
Sort out a rating system so more resource can be assigned if a single project gets into problems.
I would have said the idea of progress reports is the best. It does not have to be as formal as a whole report that she has to then plod through, just some kind of statement that they are having no problems and everything is running to time. It also has the benefit of leaving a paper trail so that if this situation were to ever arise again she would be able to prove that he had been hiding problems.
ProPlus said:
. . . I have suggested the following:
Her employees send her regular progress reports. (really too many people to do this). . .
Flat structures are all well and good but if there are too many direct-report staff to cope with basic 'progress & exception reporting' then she needs to either appoint programme coordinators or team leaders to monitor progress.
Hang on, I've got an idea for a TV show...sparkythecat said:
My mate recently got a junior management position. His septugenarian father who had been a foremen in an engineering machine shop for many years dispensed this fatherly advice for dealing with troublesome employees.
" Dog 'em till they hate you son. Then sack 'em"
Unfortunately, UK employment law favours the employee so much, it is almost impossible to just "sack" someone. Its a joke.
tiga84 said:
My mate recently got a junior management position. His septugenarian father who had been a foremen in an engineering machine shop for many years dispensed this fatherly advice for dealing with troublesome employees.
" Dog 'em till they hate you son. Then sack 'em"
Unfortunately, UK employment law favours the employee so much, it is almost impossible to just "sack" someone. Its a joke.
Well just make them feel completely undervalued and give everyone else a payrise and not them, they will want to leave.
Could always just 'go postal'
Performance manage them out of the door. Give them agreed work to be done by an agreed date that fits into your overall plan. Make it a combination of short and longer-term work, and constantly chase them for it. Make it clear at the outset what your expectations are of them, and what they are responsible for. Any deviation from agreed work, bring in disciplinary measures. Any advancement on agreed work, you buy the team lunch. Carrot & stick - as long as everyone is clear on their responsibilities, and make sure only one person has overall responsibility for any given task.
tiga84 said:
My mate recently got a junior management position. His septugenarian father who had been a foremen in an engineering machine shop for many years dispensed this fatherly advice for dealing with troublesome employees.
" Dog 'em till they hate you son. Then sack 'em"
Unfortunately, UK employment law favours the employee so much, it is almost impossible to just "sack" someone. Its a joke.
I'm on a written warning for having time off. I sustained a very minor nick and nearly lost my thumb through infection. Now that's a joke.With great difficulty, we have just been advised by ACAS that we cannot make a member of staff work to contract, we have to re-issue the same contract and then insist they work to it. All to ensure she works the days contracted. We now spend more time managing staff the doing the job.
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