Tag Archives: employee

SOME GENERAL EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT TIPS!!!

Ultimately the manager or boss sets the tone of the workplace. If the manager is competent, optimistic, almost always in a good mood, greets workers before work, is willing to give advice and ask for advice when appropriate, engages in solving problems, gives appropriate praise or rewards for work well done, fairly punishes or disciplines when necessary, shows concern for the emotional state of employees and empathizes with them, is kind and considerate, has a sense of humor, and generally has a positive can do attitude then you can’t really ask for much more.

The ideal manager has integrity, is moral, trustworthy, not pretentious, dependable, competent, respected, a good communicator, and has emotional intelligence. Respect is usually earned with time so trying to maintain respectability under almost all circumstances is important for the long haul.

Emotional intelligence: n. the ability to accurately assess a human’s emotional circumstance and to proceed to communicate appropriately and/or to motivate samer human to achieve a goal(s)

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to impulsively control your impulsive desires to express intense anger, fear, hatred, jealousy, frustration and not offend or greatly threaten the human whom you are communicating with and not stimulate them into defensive intense emotional reactions. It is the ability to communicate these “negative” emotions where appropriate in a calm controlled way.

EQ is also the ability to confidently communicate loving, caring, empathetic, praising, or inspiring emotions which motivate a human to do their best at achieving a goal(s).

Emotional intelligence can be used to do good and/or bad things and to some extent it is also the ability to manipulate other humans to achieve desired goal(s). That is why managers with high emotional intelligence are sought after in business and institutional enterprises.

Good management means mostly staying emotionally cool or businesslike, listening intently to complaints, suggestions, or problems needing a solution, asking questions and follow up questions to pinpoint the problem, not arguing but being in discussion mode, attacking or trying to solve the problem without personal attacks, getting feedback on the progress of a job when necessary, being courteous and being polite can help in some instances, maintaining high standards of work and good behavior, and not micromanaging.

Employee disputes should be addressed by listening intently to both arguing sides, asking for or giving possible solutions, not taking sides and so not trying to embitter or create unneeded drama and hurt feelings, and letting the employees work it out for themselves if possible. Communicating your expectations and having a clear plan in mind on what to do is important in any dispute and job performance issue which needs guidance.

Mentoring and delegating authority in small steps may be done for employees who hope to advance in the organization to a managerial level.

A written warning can be issued and a little time given to resolve performance issues of a serious kind which may result in firing if not corrected.

We might mention that there is a big difference in managing well defined jobs such as cashiers, stock personnel, and janitors where you can be more authoritative and strict in your management style and managing a team of specialists who are all working together to fulfill project goals.

Managing a team of specialists or creative personnel where you have no detailed knowledge of their job skills is mainly a question of assessing possible cost of the project, length of the project time wise, number and type of personnel necessary, resources needed now, during, and at the end of the project, getting skillful feedback on progress during the project, and finally having the emotional intelligence to keep everyone motivated and working hard at achieving the stated goals of the project.

What you say to your employees and the tone of voice is also important. Sincerely saying good morning, how are you doing? anything new? how’s your family? is everything going smoothly? and any problems? can show a genuine interest in the well being of an employee. Saying – sorry I was wrong, I made a mistake, it was my fault, I could have done better, or laughing at an error shows humility and makes you more respected since employees realize that you are not claiming to be perfect and have some vulnerabilities.

There are many types of incompetent managers who may also have personality problems. They are not confident that they will climb the corporate ladder any further and are fearful that their job will be replaced by someone lower in the pecking order. They may be secretive and sometimes exert their authority with bossy threats, rudeness, and inconsiderate behavior. Added to this they may have a high turnover of employees fearing that one of them will eventually replace them and that they will be without a job or have to move on to another one. If you are this kind of a bad manager then you deserve what you will ultimately get-replaced.

Summarizing one could say that it is most important for a good manager or supervisor to be authentic and not pretentious, to motivate, communicate well and often enough with employees, and be a manager who is willing to learn something new and improve one’s job and human skill set. A good manager is a good role model, a leader, a teacher, a motivator, and a disciplinarian if necessary.

If you are interested in more detailed management knowledge then read a book on emotional intelligence such as Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry, and use a search engine to look up topics or words used in this article such as motivating employees, feedback, communicating in the workplace, leadership, teamwork, solving problems, disciplining employees, toxic employees, etc.

If you liked this evergreen truth blog then read more of them, about 4500 so far, or read one or more of my evergreen truth books, especially EVERGREEN TRUTH, rays of truth in a human world filled with myths and deceptions.

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WHAT IS AN INCOMPETENT EMPLOYEE???

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“Don’t think of it as getting fired. Think of it as finally being recognized for your incompetence.”

An incompetent employee is basically an employee who doesn’t have the necessary job skills to do a job well. That may include a dysfunctional or toxic personality or bad social skills which manifests itself with bad relationships with the boss or manager and with coworkers thus endangering good morale.

Ideally a resume and job interview should weed out the incompetent individuals but it is always possible that the candidate for the job may lie and deceive and succeed in being hired much to the later dismay of the boss or manager.

Things such as prior job experience, number of prior jobs, length of time worked at the jobs, drug tests, future plans, and reasons for leaving are all important in determining potential job competence.

Possible personality flaws are hard to diagnose during an interview but a potential job candidate should have a good communication skills and be able to answer questions relatively spontaneously, with conviction, and fluently. Showing up late, hesitancy, inability to answer some valid questions, stupid answers, a very laid back attitude, nonawareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, or inappropriate dress may all be red flags and possible personality drawbacks.

A human resource department does not exist in all organizations but a good one may filter out the bad candidates for a job before an actual interview with the boss or manager.

Once hired there are signs of job incompetence. The human may be a procrastinator and basically be unmotivated or slow and lazy, they may make many mistakes or be slow learners, and generally not do the job in a timely fashion by taking too long to do a job or rushing through and not doing the job well.

Then there is the insubordinate human, the incessant complainer, the overly argumentative or bullying type, the back stabber, the chronic gossiper, and one constantly making excuses and blaming others or circumstances for not doing the job right.

These personality flaws can become very toxic in the work environment and ruin company morale so it is important to act on the problem sooner rather than later and it is important to document all the unfortunate incidents if firing becomes necessary. Legally you don’t have to give a reason for firing someone if they are not a member of a union but if you have documented all the bad incidents then you yourself can have confidence in your decision to let someone go and not further ruin company morale.

There can be infrequent insubordination, occasional complaints, occasional arguments, some bullying, some gossip, and some excuses and blaming. If infrequent you may choose to ignore the rare bad incidents but if it is a complaint then you should listen carefully and determine if anything can be done to solve the problem which comes with the complaint.

There are some humans who complain out of habit. They complain about their family, about their friends, about coworkers, about the boss, about the weather, about their job, and about everything in general. These humans are toxic to morale and even if they do their job competently they are still a bad apple which should be removed quickly so they don’t scare away or infect other employees with their negativity.

When two coworkers argue then you may have to involve yourself in a calm manner, listen to both sides of the argument and then suggest ways that they can work things out themselves without taking sides and creating more drama and bad feelings. Arguing with an incompetent boss may be a problem without a solution unless the boss or manager is replaced.

Determining why someone is being insubordinate, complaining, arguing, bullying, or blaming is important if it has not gotten out of hand because you may be able to resolve the problem so it doesn’t happen again. Listen carefully, ask questions, and request suggestions on what may be done to solve the problem.

One important point to make is that the frequency of incompetent behavior is important. Does the incompetence happen once a day, once a week, once a month, or even once a year? If rather infrequent then the incompetence may be bearable and can maybe even be overlooked.

The severity of the incompetence is also a consideration so if it leads to two or more coworkers quitting their jobs then it is definitely severe incompetence which should not have been permitted in the first place.

There is outright insubordination or breaking company rules or not doing what you are ordered or asked to do. This is serious insubordination but sometimes a worker may have a different yet valid way of doing things which still gets the job done in a timely fashion. You may ask someone to do something a certain way and they may come up with a different but just as good way of doing something. This is not outright insubordination but merely a different way of doing something and basically getting the same results. Call it an example of creativity if you want, but don’t object to it in a condescending brutal way if you still want them to do it exactly your way.

Some workers may make excuses and blame others or circumstances for being late or not doing the job right. I got up late, I partied last night, I argued with my spouse, I was caught in traffic, I had a death in the family, I had a headache, my child had an accident, I had a flat tire, I’m tired, I didn’t have enough time, I had too many interruptions, I had an argument, I was given the wrong advice, I don’t feel good, etc. are all possible excuses for not showing up on time or bad job performance.

The procrastinator or unmotivated lazy employee still doing marginal work can be a real dilemma. Setting time deadlines for a task or tasks can be tried, praise for doing a job quickly may help but ultimately an unmotivated employee is an irritant to fellow coworkers who may have to work extra hard and do some of the workload of the unmotivated one. If the procrastinator shows up to work on time then you may have to fire them without cause and maybe simply say there is not enough work around here anymore for you to do. Effectively we are laying off the workforce and you are included.

Ultimately the manager or boss sets the tone of the workplace. If the manager is competent, optimistic, almost always in a good mood, greets workers before work, is willing to give advice and ask for advice when appropriate, engages in solving problems, gives appropriate praise or rewards for work well done, fairly punishes when necessary, shows concern for the emotional state of employees and empathizes with them, is kind and considerate, has a sense of humor, and generally has a positive can do attitude then you can’t really ask for much more.

Not hiring incompetent workers in the first place is the smart thing to do. If there is severe or glaring incompetence after hiring then firing or laying off is the right thing to do to avoid future morale problems in the company.

For a complete readily accessible list of blogs and titles go to twitter.com/uldissprogis.

Enjoy!!!!!!

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10 THINGS GREAT BOSSES GIVE EMPLOYEES

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If the task or job is being done efficiently then give the employees autonomy and independence:

It gives employees satisfaction if they feel that they are doing a job or task right on their own. Don’t micro manage but do make suggestions if you think that efficiency could be improved with a slightly different technique. Giving autonomy and independence to a worker may encourage them to come up with more efficient or creative ways of doing a task or job better.

Keep the employee informed with clear expectations:

Despite having autonomy and independence the employee should be following basic rules of operation and if they are changed then the employee should be informed on a timely basis of the changes in rules. Whenever it is possible state the reasons for the changes in rules and how the employee will be affected by the changes.

Communicate meaningful goals or objectives:

Work is just boring work if the goals are not communicated to give work a purpose. Time limits and productive output quantity and quality can motivate an employee to meet those time and output goals and create satisfaction when they are successfully met.

Communicate a true sense of purpose:

It is motivating to feel like a necessary and useful part of a teamwork effort. Communicate what you want to achieve in your business and what to care about and why you should care about team effort designed to satisfy customers and even the community at large. Clearly state the purpose or goals of the business or organization and the important part which the employee is playing in it or doing.

Encourage suggestions and significant input from employees:

Self-worth will increase if an employee feels that their suggestions and input are important enough to be valued and considered in improving the efficiency of operations. Asking leading questions and probing gently for proposals on new ways to get things done more efficiently is very important and when a new idea is not feasible then some time should be taken to clearly explain why it is not a good enough idea.

Create a real sense of connection with moments of respect and admiration:

Everyone wants to be respected and admired and you can create this feeling in employees if you say a kind word once in a while, quickly discuss family circumstances, or ask if the employee needs help with something. A personal connection is frequently more important than group meetings and formal evaluations and shows that you appreciate the person and not just the worker.

Be reliably consistent and treat employees fairly with similar expectations for similar work being done:

Most employees don’t mind a boss who is strict, demanding, and quick to offer positive and negative feedback as long as the boss is consistent and treats everyone fairly without showing glaring favoritism to an undeserving employee. The more employees are told and understand why a decision was made, the less they will assume unfair treatment or favoritism. Employees will be treated differently because not all of them are as efficient in their job but a good boss will apply the rules consistently and give explanations for slightly different treatment to avoid charges of unfair favoritism.

Give private criticism for imperfect performance:

No employee is perfect and needs constructive criticism once in a while but it should be done in private and not in front of other workers to avoid shame and embarrassment on the part of the criticized employee.

Public praise and appreciation is sometimes helpful:

Your best performing employees will seldom need public praise because they are frequently aware of their excellence but public praise and appreciation may just be the proper motivation to turn an average employee into a better or great performer.

Give hope for a chance at a meaningful future:

Ask your employee what his future job plans are even if it is with another company and not necessarily rising up through the ranks in your company. If you show that you care about and support an employee’s future then they will probably care more about your business.

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