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I'd have to say go for a meeting and bring the obvious to the table. If it goes on alot, everyone has to notice it. Let them now the as a whole the company needs to get back on track (not matt foley style either).
Also before the meeting it might be helpful to get some key exmaples going, such as when you put the rookie in the locker last weekend and then fill the locker with shaving cream. This is not a good thing. etc
This might help the completely confused be able to link their behavior with problems.
Like also mentioned,get a good set of standards setup of what is expected of the workers/individual jobs. Have respective works sign it and both parties keep a copy.
Afterwards if people are still not getting the hint, give them a general write up and let them know they are not following the guidelines. Have each party sign again.
If it keeps happening, sorry he/she lost. And you have signed documentation.
Last edited by ZeroHour; 05/17/06 03:43 AM.
1998 SE Duratec V6 ATX
Ebay intake with K&N Filter
Trubendz Exhaust
Custom Hood
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
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I'll put it in plain English once again:
You will have to fire some of them, if it's as bad as you are making it sound.
I have done IT and management consulting for small mom and pop shops to the largest retailers, defense manufacturers, aerospace and energy companies on this planet for over a decade now; I'm not touting myself as an expert (because I'm NOT), but as someone who has been in the trenches and seen more than their fair share of screwed-up companies (be it due to the management, the workers or BOTH). Beforehand, I have been in the customer's shoes and lived through 2 mergers that brought in conflicting management styles. Let's just say I've seen what works and what does not for the most part and that I have a "discriminating" eye for flushing out weakness in any system that has to perform and that my paycheck depends on being able to do this fairly well...
You can get as Zen as you like, read Tom Peters or the latest Jack Welch infomercial, ply though the latest psychology management publication, take Phil Jackson's coaching approach and bend it to employee management, etc., etc., but when it is all said and done, it boils down to this:
If certain employees are negatively impacting the welfare of the business, to the detriment of your customers AND other employees, then it's your DUTY to get rid of the troublemakers post-haste, unless you want inaction, doubt and continued problems to reflect on the way you manage, which then also makes YOU a part of the problem.
You'd be crazy for not documenting the Hell out of the situation, so that goes without saying. You'd also be crazy to not talk to corporate counsel or HR (if the company has one or the other) about your options and legal risks associated with your upcoming decision. Still, plan on giving the ringleaders the axe sooner rather than later because that is typically what has to happen before you get people's attention. It's sad, but far too true...
Every freaking self-proclaimed business guru out there uses the absolutely worn-out Boat Analogy in some form or fashion, but there's a reason they do: the analogies WORK.
Example:
If you have your rowers steering the boat into an iceberg and the guy calling cadence refuses to listen to a course change, how long should it take before the captain has the "mutineers" walking the plank and replacing them with someone that "listens"?
How about the Kindergarten analogy?
Example:
New teacher comes into a troubled class and is nice to a bunch of brats to "gain their respect". The brats proceed to walk all over her and the good kids start to as well.
New teacher comes into class and fairly and evenly lays down the Law, which has the brats getting carpel-tunnel from writing on the chalkboard every minute of the school-day and the good kids thinking twice about causing problems and therefore doing what they are supposed to do.
I'm not advocating that you be a hard-ass from day one, but fairly honest and transparent to the troublemakers about what will be tolerated, what will not, what garners accolades and what gets you on the proverbial s**t-list.
Make it unequivocally clear that being on the s**t-list is not a good thing if they want to stay employed but regarless of short-term results, pretty much plan on having to get rid of the ringleaders. I've yet to see a fundamental turnaround from real troublemakers...
If you've got problems with employees when the CEO or President of the company comes into town for a visit, that should be a "tap on the shoulder" about where you are probably going to have to take this...
JaTo
e-Tough Guy
Missouri City, TX
99 Contour SVT
#143/2760
00 Corvette Coupe
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One major thing that has to be done is to build up on the positives.
Remember this, you cannot use the old Carrt & Stick method if you don't have a carrot!
Personally I would take the time to sit down for just 5 minutes with each of these individuals and talk to them. Not necessarily to question them or push decisions in their face, but to understand them better.
I would also recommend finding an employee to bridge the gap between shop-floor and management. It helps a lot when bad decisions come up. They can provide you with inside information that you can use to your advantage too.
Find out why these guys are unmotivated. If they don't care and want to move on, put something together for them. If they are unmotivated because they feel un-valued ... put together something to make them feel valued. It sounds like the team spirit is broken, which happens in so many places. Build that up (not with cheesy team building crap though).
The best factory environment that I ever worked in was because the management rewarded the employees so well.
If production was good, our MD would purposely go into the bar where the workers were after work on Friday night and buy everyone there a couple of drinks, talk to them and thank them in person.
This kind of thing works better than classic motivation purposes, because it has a personal touch. Bonuses are nice, but the most impersonal way to reward.
Man management is the hardest thing, and I would say that before you wield your axe, or make negative decisions, build yourself up first. Don't walk in and be an ogre from the get-go that will be your image forever.
All in all, your best route is communication first, action later. Don't ever assume you know why your employees act like they do unless you ask them. Don't sit back and make decisions without communication first. Always try and get the other guy's angle. Motivate in a way that your employees actually ENJOY.
1998.5 T-Red on Midnight Blue SVT
Build Number 5320 of 6535
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Originally posted by csc99svt:
I work in the plastics and coatings industry for a company that supplies color to multiple things...A plant in ruins, to the point where the new plant manager was sent in to try and turn things around, upon which i entered multiple, multiple interviews and tests and now here i am as the manager of all lab activities and basically second in command.
The employees left over from the previous regime are so far gone that even when the president of the company is in town on business, the same ole crap continues to happen because said employees just dont care. For so long no one has ever done anything to discipline and they figure that no one ever will...
Our particular plant is small and busy enough, that i cannot just fire said employees and start from scratch, and unfortunately some of these employees, somehow, have 10-15 years vested in this company...
Aside from being "bad cop" and making an example of someone, does anyone have any creative ideas to get attitudes to change? Maybe some other Executive level people ahve been in this sort of situation before? I am open to any logical, mature suggestions anyone might have.
Thanks
Reading this again makes me think that there has been a turn-over in upper management, probably with each new guy doing things his way. This means a constant change for no reason, as pervceived by the guy on the floor. I bet they are also worried about job-security. Re-affirm job-security if you can. A good trick can be to 're-sign' employees. It gives you a chance to discuss what you want from them, hear what they want, and a way to find out what they don't want and don't like. You get a better handle on your work-force's abilities, and can see (and hear) if people have been shuffled into inappropriate areas.
Then you can shuffle, mix up the pot, and put people where they are happier (if this is the case). If this is an appropriate route you will instantly elevate employee happiness (guys doing what they feel best at), instantly change the frame-of-mind of the guys, and have an ability to say, in a closed environment, "What will make you happy, and make you work more efficiently?".
1998.5 T-Red on Midnight Blue SVT
Build Number 5320 of 6535
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,578
Hard-core CEG'er
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Originally posted by frenchblueC2:
ultimatum needs to be made.
Shape up or you're out.
Yes, you said you'd be SOL if you fired someone, but if they're slacking off anyway, you're not really saving much money.
Someone needs to be canned.
Then you can offer overtime or extra pay for people to pick up the slack while you hire someone else.
Maybe even start the interviewing process early and get a few candidates in mind, then lay down the hammer and get rid of the old trash.
I think the ultimatum needs to happen first.
It's they're job, they get paid to do it, if they don't do it as expected then they're worthless.
Agree with Kim here. Totally
2004 Ford Freestar V6
Boogity Boogity Boogity, Let's go racin Boys!
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CEG\'er
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Originally posted by JaTo:
I'll put it in plain English once again:
You will have to fire some of them, if it's as bad as you are making it sound.
I have done IT and management consulting for small mom and pop shops to the largest retailers, defense manufacturers, aerospace and energy companies on this planet for over a decade now; I'm not touting myself as an expert (because I'm NOT), but as someone who has been in the trenches and seen more than their fair share of screwed-up companies (be it due to the management, the workers or BOTH). Beforehand, I have been in the customer's shoes and lived through 2 mergers that brought in conflicting management styles. Let's just say I've seen what works and what does not for the most part and that I have a "discriminating" eye for flushing out weakness in any system that has to perform and that my paycheck depends on being able to do this fairly well...
You can get as Zen as you like, read Tom Peters or the latest Jack Welch infomercial, ply though the latest psychology management publication, take Phil Jackson's coaching approach and bend it to employee management, etc., etc., but when it is all said and done, it boils down to this:
If certain employees are negatively impacting the welfare of the business, to the detriment of your customers AND other employees, then it's your DUTY to get rid of the troublemakers post-haste, unless you want inaction, doubt and continued problems to reflect on the way you manage, which then also makes YOU a part of the problem.
You'd be crazy for not documenting the Hell out of the situation, so that goes without saying. You'd also be crazy to not talk to corporate counsel or HR (if the company has one or the other) about your options and legal risks associated with your upcoming decision. Still, plan on giving the ringleaders the axe sooner rather than later because that is typically what has to happen before you get people's attention. It's sad, but far too true...
Every freaking self-proclaimed business guru out there uses the absolutely worn-out Boat Analogy in some form or fashion, but there's a reason they do: the analogies WORK.
Example:
If you have your rowers steering the boat into an iceberg and the guy calling cadence refuses to listen to a course change, how long should it take before the captain has the "mutineers" walking the plank and replacing them with someone that "listens"?
How about the Kindergarten analogy?
Example:
New teacher comes into a troubled class and is nice to a bunch of brats to "gain their respect". The brats proceed to walk all over her and the good kids start to as well.
New teacher comes into class and fairly and evenly lays down the Law, which has the brats getting carpel-tunnel from writing on the chalkboard every minute of the school-day and the good kids thinking twice about causing problems and therefore doing what they are supposed to do.
I'm not advocating that you be a hard-ass from day one, but fairly honest and transparent to the troublemakers about what will be tolerated, what will not, what garners accolades and what gets you on the proverbial s**t-list.
Make it unequivocally clear that being on the s**t-list is not a good thing if they want to stay employed but regarless of short-term results, pretty much plan on having to get rid of the ringleaders. I've yet to see a fundamental turnaround from real troublemakers...
If you've got problems with employees when the CEO or President of the company comes into town for a visit, that should be a "tap on the shoulder" about where you are probably going to have to take this...
Kudos to everything JaTo just said. As a senior manager myself, I'll reiterate some good points in my own words:
1) HR is your friend. As a manager, in the end, it is ultimately your decision who stays and who goes. It is HR's job to help you make your decisions and to ensure you're as well covered legally as is possible before the decisions are made, but HR's job is NOT to make such decisions.
2) I'd recommend you read Welch's latest book "Winning", it's much better than his previous book and the writings on HR, hiring/firing, personnel management, etc.,is about as good as you're going to find IMHO.
3) Don't keep people around that are poisonous to the organization. Some people are simply troublemakers to use JaTo's word. It won't take long to figure out who the worst offenders are if you're observant (trust your gut on this), those are the people who you'll need to focus on 1st. Generally there are leader types and follower types among the staff, you need to identify the leader types that are poisonous to the organization that are negatively influencing the people around them, and either reign these people in quick, or remove them from the equation if they remain uncooperative.
4) Documentation is key. Even if you live in an "employment at will" state the better documentation you have the better off you will be. Document everything. Every conversation you have with anyone who you are considering letting go, document the conversation after the fact and sign that document and file it into their personnel file. Keep your own personnel files locked up in a secure file cabinet, place all documentation into this filing cabinet (don't label it as such either - it becomes a target for break-ins if you do).
5) Open and honest communication is key, but be careful when it comes to openly sharing about negative personnel issues in any public setting. Group meetings are great, but generally should emphasize the business challenges and what positive steps and plans are being initiated on a business level to resolve problems and challenges. Generally I find that sharing difficult/negative news especially in regard to personnel issues is best left to subgroups or even one on one meetings with each person if possible. Praise in public, discipline in private. One on one meetings will also give you the opportunity to get a wide variety of viewpoints on what is ongoing from a political/organizational perspective at the plant in question, all while behind closed doors and in confidence. Ask for open, direct, and honest answers. The public meetings should focus on the fact that the plant is in trouble, and for what reasons business-wise, and what you and your management team are planning to do to turn things around.
6) Remember as a manager, there is no such thing as an off the record conversation. Never try to be friends with those you manage. I promise you, in the event you have to terminate someone, any "off the record" conversations you've had with that individual will come back to bite you in the a$$.
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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I don't think it's as simple as laying down a bunch of rules, and expecting people to toe the line or be fired. You'll never get a dedicated, motivated workforce that way. You will just become the big rectum that everyone hates rather than respects.
Don't get me wrong. It is critical to establish standards and hold the employees accountable to them. It is also critical to do everything you legally and ethically can do to reform or eliminate the ringleaders. That side has been covered.
However, communication and reform is a two way street. There are reasons why these people are not motivated. Have sessions with the employees where THEY do the talking, airing their issues and concerns, what they think and feel. You said many of these people have 10-15 years. They have things they can contribute if you remain open to them. Now, let's be honest and make it clear that you can't necessarily fix everything to their liking, but making even a couple of minor changes in response to their input adds to thier value, and therefore their motivation.
Brad "Diva": 2004 Mazda 6s 5-door, Volcanic Red
Rex: 1988 Mazda RX-7 Vert, Harbor Blue.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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OP
Hard-core CEG'er
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thank you all so very much for all your advice and help...
it has been tough on me as i have never had this much control over a situtation as i do in my plant....this is definitely the most senior position i have ever held....
as it currently stands, the new revised employee handbook is under review by the company's lawyer to make sure nothing can come back to get us at a later date, and the new policies package is under construction...
things are happening quickly as we have just cracked a new formula that gives us a hefty selling price advantage over our competitors, and business has increased approx 35% in the last 5 weeks...
please keep things coming as what looks to be either a major turnaround or a major turnover (totally up to my staff at this point) is on the horizon...
--Chris--
1999 Silver Frost SVT
#1671 of #2760
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