mc connell pp_ch21
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© 2010 Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC
Umiker's Management Skills for the New Health
Care Supervisor, Fifth Edition
Charles McConnell
© 2010 Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC
Chapter 21
Employees with ProblemsEmployees with Problems
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The Marginal Performer
Ask yourself: Is this person bored with the jobs?
Are the person’s social needs being met?
Would a transfer help?
Are the person’s ego needs being met?
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For Older Employees
Acknowledge experience and seek their
advice.
Use them as mentors or trainers.
Explain the need for change; get them
involved; provide more training if needed.
Encourage them to attend professional
meetings.
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For Older Employees
If they are winding down toward
retirement, approve their occasional
requests for time off without pay.
Listen to their plans for retirement;
be sympathetic.
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Parents of Latchkey Children
Provide understanding and slack
whenever possible but be wary of
inconsistent treatment of
employees—you should not do for
one what you are not able to do for
anyone similarly situated.
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The Absent Employee
Be certain employees know that sick leave is a benefit, not an entitlement.
Eliminate causes of job dissatisfaction as much as possible..
Set an example. The supervisor’s attendance record should be a visible, positive example for the employees.
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The Absent Employee
Maintain complete and accurate
attendance records, and make no secret
of the fact that you monitor absenteeism.
Be conscious of patterns of absenteeism,
for example, weekend stretching or
absence immediately before or after a
holiday.
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Common Signs of Personal Problems
increased absenteeism, especially if exhibited by an individual with a good record;
frequent absences from the workstation;
confusion or difficulty concentrating; decreased productivity or
diminished work quality;
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Common Signs of Personal Problems
friction with other employees;
unusual or atypical behavior, for
example, temper tantrums or
emotional outbursts;
becoming accident prone; and
alcohol on the breath.
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Signs of Possible Drug Involvement
receives visits from strangers or
employees from other areas or meets
these people outside of the building;
is suspected of theft;
makes secretive telephone calls;
visits the washroom or locker room for
long periods;
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Signs of Possible Drug Involvement
wears dark glasses indoors;
wears long-sleeved shirts in hot
weather;
has blood stains on the shirt sleeves;
and or
perspires excessively.
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For a Suspected Problem
Hold a frank counseling session and -- Make certain the employee knows what is
expected and that documentation of your observations is complete.
Describe the unacceptable behavior or results without stating what you believe the underlying problem to be.
Do not accuse the employee of having a personal problem, but encourage such an admission.
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Questions for the Employee
Are you aware that your performance
has fallen below the standard for the job?
Is it possible that a personal problem
may be at the root of this?
Are you aware of our employee
assistance program?
Is there anything I can do to help?
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Follow-Up Counseling
If the employee’s performance fails to improve, hold a second counseling session.
If the employee still does not admit there is a personal problem, again offer help.
Emphasize that the person’s job may be in jeopardy if performance does not improve
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If Employee Cooperates:
continue your support.
expect occasional backsliding or
relapses.
acknowledge good work and noticeable
improvement.
Resist any temptation to lighten the
employee’s load.
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Precautions
Use only job performance to initiate
corrective procedures.
Never apologize for bringing up
performance deficiencies.
Do not try to be a diagnostician. You
are an “expert” only in the area of
performance.
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Precautions
During your counseling interview, do not discuss personal problems in depth and do not attempt to offer advice.
Do not moralize. There should be no stigma attached to personal problems.
Be firm, but do not take punitive action until after counseling has been declined.
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“People Problems”
People problems are not unnecessary
intrusions on the supervisor’s time;
rather, people problems will always be
part of the supervisor’s responsibility.
If there were no people problems, far
fewer supervisors would be needed.
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Salvaging Employees
Salvaging an under-performing
employee can be a daunting and
time-consuming task, but salvaging
one employee can be far more
satisfying than terminating a dozen
under-performers.
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For Feuding Employees:
Caution them that if they do not work out a solution, you will take action.
Seek some common ground or general area of agreement.
Listen to both sides impartially. Ask each person what he or she would
like to change. Review areas of agree ment and disagreement.
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For Feuding Employees:
Discuss the pros and cons of each
alternative, and get them to agree to one
possible solution.
Clarify expected future behavior.
Congratulate them on reaching an
agreement.
Follow up. Hold additional sessions if
necessary.
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Unethical Behavior in the Workplace:
Instructing people to do whatever is
necessary to achieve results
Taking credit for other people’s ideas
or shifting blame to others
Playing favorites among staff
Lying or falsifying records
Billing for work not performed
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Unethical Behavior (more)
Deliberately making false or misleading statements
Divulging personal or confidential information
Failing to report violations of legal requirements
Failing to report health and safety hazards or accidents
Theft
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“From the Top Down”
Employees are more likely to make
unethical decisions when
management makes it difficult for
them to avoid doing so.
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Effective Ethics Programs --
-- include a code of ethical conduct,
provide for employee training in the
ethics of the workplace, include a
monitoring system, and provide an
ethics “hotline.”
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Ethics and the Supervisor
One of the surest ways of
encouraging ethical behavior
among employees is to lead by
example, always demonstrating
honesty and ethical conduct in all
matters.