By Cal Butera
Employees begin new jobs with a bounce in their steps, thankful that you gave them a chance and eager to please. Hey, it's a fresh start.
But somewhere along the line, something made them change. The pilot light went off, and with it, their passion and productivity.
What happened? To be fair, sometimes it's nothing the manager or the company did. Occasionally, it's because you hired a person who is predisposed to dissatisfaction. They were miserable at their last job, they are miserable at the job you gave them, and they will be miserable wherever else they go.
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For all the others whose alacrity has fizzled, here are three chief causes:
• Too much work. Funny thing is if employees start the job with a heavy load there's really no problem. You've told them up front what to expect, didn't you?
The trouble starts when the work incrementally builds. Employees begin to smell a ploy. They see that their hard work just creates more hard work. The next step, they rebel.
Cure: If you must dump more work on your producers, show them that you are aware of that, and then pay for it. If you can't pony up a raise or bonus, then perhaps give them some extra vacation days. But don't let it go unappreciated. Whatever your reward is, make sure it's tangible or usable. An employee who is told he or she is a "team player" will soon tire of that bland carrot.
As a manager, it's not always easy to take the plunge and address the problem. But Troublesome People at Work gives you the confidence to identify when there's a problem, approach the person who's struggling and conduct a successful counseling session to make things better. Get the guide here.
• Shift in job duties. When a person is hired, there's usually a job description he or she bargained for. A driver expects to drive. A salesperson expects to sell. And a graphic designer expects to design.
When you shoehorn in the other-duties-as-required, you've planted seeds of discontent. This worsens when those "other duties" now become permanent, time-sucking tasks.
Cure: Avoid this type of delegation. Yes, you're the boss and "stuff needs to be done, and if they don't like it, well, we got a stack of applications from people who would be just too happy …" Hold it right there. What do you think will happen when you hire someone for her creativity, but load her up with data entry? As much as possible, let employees run with their talents—in the job they applied for.
• Cliques. There are good cliques, and there are bad cliques.
A good clique consists of highly productive workers with a bounty of buy-in to the company's mission. It's essentially an exclusive club of talented hotshots adored by management, but abhorred by those who can't gain membership (not good for morale).
A bad clique is a peanut gallery. And a gossipy one at that. Either way, cliques breed negativity.
Cure: There are no cures for cliques. Their formation is natural and unstoppable. They begin about three months into kindergarten and last a lifetime. Your only recourse is to try to manage the clique. Foster an environment that's all-inclusive, especially during staff meetings and morale-boosting activities. Now, if only that good clique could comprise the whole staff.
Don't think it's worth it to single out a struggling worker and take time out of your busy schedule to help? Consider the potential results if you DON'T confront problems: - Loss of productivity. Poor performers do only about a third of the work of average employees.
- Loss of business. Clients who have to deal with difficult employees may take their business somewhere else.
Loss of time. It can take you twice as long to supervise a poor performer.- Loss of talent. If your other employees don't think you're managing well, they might find other work.
- Loss of self-esteem. Managers who blame themselves for workplace problems can feel less self-confident.
- Rule violations. Certain behaviors can put employees at risk.
Still not convinced Troublesome People at Work can help you improve your organization? Think about this: How much is an hour of your time worth? How much does your most difficult worker earn? Add these two together, and you'll get the cost of an hour of supervision. If Troublesome People at Work can save you even an hour of supervisory time, it's already paid for itself. And remember, it can even save you the high cost of a termination-related lawsuit. Get your copy today!
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