There is a tendency with managers to believe that because they told an employee to do something, that act or task will be completed. I bet you are thinking to yourself right now that the previous statement is crazy. No one ever does what you tell them to do, and I agree, so why do so many keep doing it?
People tend not to do what they are told, not because they want to defy their manager, but because: they don’t know how to do it; it is difficult and there are so many other things to do; they don’t have all the information they need to do it; or lastly, they don’t want to! I am sure you can think of more but let’s stay with these for now.
As a manager, the toughest thing to do is call attention to the fact that an employee is not doing what they are supposed to do. They are not doing the tasks assigned and someone must tell them. Most managers would rather do the work themselves than put in the time to make sure the employee does it. Why? Because it is uncomfortable to face someone and their emotions when you tell them they are not doing their job. Most of us want to be liked and so avoid tough conversations.
How do you overcome this form of procrastination? A lot of times the manager will simply wait till the situation is so bad that their boss, the Director, VP, owner – pick the title – notices and they have no choice, but to act. “I have been covering for you for a while, but now my boss is on me because your work isn’t good enough.” Bet you heard that one more than once! By this time, the employee is so behind that they would rather quit than try and fix what is happening. That is not good for anyone. The conversation is usually emotionally super charged because the manager is angry, and they use that anger to draw the courage to act and have that uncomfortable conversation.
What if we take that situation and change it slightly? It just takes a small change, put a date on it! Yes, just put a date or deadline on the task. “I need you to have the reports on my desk by tomorrow at noon.” Now the employee has a clear understanding of the importance and little wiggle room to get out of the task. As the manager, you now put in your calendar and note at noon for the following day that states you will receive the reports.
OK, so the likelihood of the reports being on your desk is low, in your mind. What do you do when they are not on your desk at noon? You ask, what happened? It is in your calendar, so when the reminder pops up and there are no reports, it should only take a second or two to write the e-mail. Heck, you can write it ahead of time and leave it in your draft folder so you can just click send if the reports were not done.
Now you wait for a response!
If you don’t get one, it may mean that the employee is hard at working getting you the reports and simply has not looked at their e-mail. Good news is you will soon have the information you are looking for on your desk. What if you get one that says, “I am sorry, I just don’t know how to do this?” That is rare, but a great opportunity for you as the manager to coach an employee through a situation and build trust.
What if you don’t hear anything at all after some time? This is likely the worse of situations, the employee is avoiding the question and in many ways you. At that point you could leave it alone and wait for the escalation, or you can simply go by their desk and ask about the reports. This should be a low tension “check-up” and will give you another the opportunity to coach the employee. It is far easier to go at it this way than wait till the tension builds.
What if you still don’t get an answer? Well then it is time for some specific feedback and calling out the fact that not only was the work not done, but the conversation about it was avoided. This employee will need a lot of work and you as the manager will have to decide how much effort to put into it!
Don’t know what is happening with some of your staff? Maybe an outsider can have a conversation and figure it out for you. If you find you are in that situation, reach out and lets talk, rick@gramatges.com.
Gramatges Consulting 