Managing Personnel Issues
I have not discovered an agency owner yet who became an agency owner so he or she could manage people. Managing people was never their goal. It just came with the job and it can be tough. It is no wonder then that so many agency owners consider it the worst part of their job. Tough personnel situations are time- and energy-consuming.
Choose Wisely
A great starting place for easing personnel issues is with good hiring practices. I hear a lot of agents say, “Hire for attitude,” and many are reporting great improvements in their teams. Be careful, though, not to interpret this as hiring only agreeable people. While I have seen some agencies improve their staff, I have also seen agencies identify the wrong attitudes they wanted to hire.
I heard two managers of very large facilities talking about whether they prefer smart, creative, productive employees, albeit ones that might be difficult to manage, or happy team players that go with the flow. They agreed, as so many agency owners would, that easy employees are preferred. Going along and getting along are the preferred traits. This reminds me of a movie scene about cute lemmings going along and getting along all the way over the cliff.
Occasionally I will work with an agency where no employee has offered any constructive criticism to agency management for many years. Everyone (except maybe the owner) is aware of major, easily identifiable problems. The employees, though, cannot tell the emperor he has no clothes. Hiring for attitude is great, but if you are about to go over a cliff, wouldn’t you want your employees to speak up?
As with most things, a person cannot have it both ways. An office full of docile employees is not an ideal solution. Neither is an office full of strong-willed, “do it my way” employees. If an agency is going to “hire for attitude,” consider which attitude is desirable for the specific position, rather than selecting one attitude for the entire agency.
If one of the attitudes you want to hire is someone who takes ownership and works for the agency’s benefit, make sure you are willing to listen to constructive criticism. Taking criticism is always tough, but constructive criticism and advice from employees show the employees care about the agency. Employees who care about their workplace are a great characteristic to build upon.
Worry Not
I have observed that agency owners often worry excessively about personnel issues, and much of this worrying is wasted energy. Sometimes they disguise the worry under the umbrella of, “I’m gathering more information about the situation before taking action.” or “I’m carefully considering all the alternatives so I can make the right decision.” I like to believe that if a person thinks long and hard enough about a problem, they will eventually discover a better solution. In most of these cases, though, the owner is just procrastinating the ultimate decision they know they must make.
Most often, if an employee is inadequately performing, all the worrying never cures the problem. When the painful decision is made to finally handle the problem, though, the worry drains away. Either the employee improves or the owner finds it easier to take the required next step.
In many of these situations, other employees are paying the penalty for management inaction. Excessive worrying tends to focus the worrier on accommodating the problem employee rather than considering the entire agency’s welfare. By taking action then, everyone else in the agency may experience an improved environment.
Additionally, excessive worry probably will not change the final action. We often worry because we do not have adequate confidence in our decision. But even if we are wrong, provided we communicate our decision adequately, the decision acts as a catalyst for finding the right solution. Personnel issues are rarely easy, but just worrying does not help one find that solution. Action does.
Agency owners are not usually owners just so they can manage people. This is a big reason to address issues head-on without procrastination. The more proactive a person is in managing their people, the more likely the number of personnel headaches will decrease.
NOTE: The information provided herein is intended for educational and informational purposes only and it represents only the views of the authors. It is not a recommendation that a particular course of action be followed. Burand & Associates, LLC and Chris Burand assume, and will have, no responsibility for liability or damage which may result from the use of any of this information.
None of the materials in this article should be construed as offering legal advice, and the specific advice of legal counsel is recommended before acting on any matter discussed in this article. Regulated individuals/entities should also ensure that they comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.