A reader writes:
My worker, “Jim,” has been within the workforce for about 2.5 years and with my firm for 1.5 years. After working with him carefully for that point, I’d fee his work ethic as 5/10 (it’s not a priority, however he’s not impressing). Nevertheless, he appears to consider that his work ethic and workload are increased than common. In his first annual evaluation, he listed restricted time and heavy workload as an impediment to his success. Once I took a more in-depth look, I noticed that he averaged 38 hours/week (40+ hours/week is typical for our firm). Just a few weeks after that evaluation, he posted in a company-wide Slack channel that he had simply pulled into the golf course on Wednesday at 4 pm.
The latest instance was once I was working with Jim and one other director on a challenge. I supplied suggestions to Jim at 4:15 pm and didn’t get a response. Then different director chimed in with a number of questions on a distinct challenge and didn’t get a response. At 5:15 pm, Jim responded, “Sorry I used to be on a stroll” after which in response to one of many questions mentioned, “I had deliberate to, I simply had different stuff come up at present. I’m struggling maintaining proper now.”
Our tradition does prioritize flexibility and in most conditions, I wouldn’t be involved about an worker logging off for a stroll at 4:15 pm (our typical hours are 8-5). Nevertheless, it rubs me the incorrect means when Jim additionally says he’s struggling to maintain up.
Is there a means for me to have a dialog with Jim about optics and the way these sorts of feedback in succession are perceived? I’m fearful that in my place as his supervisor, it should sound like I’m telling him he can’t have a versatile schedule or ought to lie about his hours.
Is he struggling to maintain up? If he wasn’t continuously saying that he’s struggling, would you have got issues about his work?
I’m asking as a result of if he’s certainly struggling to maintain up — if his work isn’t getting executed as rapidly because it ought to and folks aren’t getting solutions from him quick sufficient — then this isn’t nearly optics.
Optics could be if he had been doing a very good job and staying on high of all the things however nonetheless dropping feedback about {golfing} and walks to elucidate why he hadn’t gotten again to somebody sooner. Or showily kicking again and studying {a magazine} whereas folks had been harried round him.
But when he’s actually not working with the tempo or high quality you’d prefer to see, then that is greater than optics: it’s him making dangerous selections about his time administration whereas concurrently not getting his work executed. That’s a efficiency difficulty. Optics would nonetheless be a chunk of it, because it’s clearly horrible judgment to announce his mid-day golf journeys in that context. However it will be a smaller piece than the remaining.
If that’s the case, it is best to sit down with him and say one thing like: “You’ve talked about a number of instances that you just’re struggling to maintain up, and I’ve seen indicators of that too, like X and Y. I’m involved that you just’re doing issues like {golfing} mid-day or leaving work to take a stroll whilst you’re behind on work and individuals are ready on solutions from you. We do have a versatile tradition, however that assumes you’re staying on high of all the things. I’m involved to see you managing your time that means if you’re already struggling.”
But when his work and responsiveness are literally effective, that’s a distinct state of affairs. In that case, I’d be most involved that his evaluation (“struggling”) doesn’t match up with yours, and I’d need to dig into that. In order that’s a dialog extra like: “You’ve talked about a number of instances that you just’re struggling to maintain up, so I need to discuss what’s happening. From my perspective, your work is nice and also you’re staying on high of all the things. Inform me how issues are feeling to you.” If from that dialog you understand he is struggling (for instance, feeling overwhelmed and stretched too skinny, even in case you don’t see it in his work product), it is smart to carry up {the golfing}, and many others. in that context.
In both of these conditions, it’s not likely optics. It’s that each one the items aren’t becoming collectively in a means that is smart: his time administration decisions aren’t syncing up along with his commentary. One thing is happening, and digging into it ought to allow you to pinpoint no matter it’s.
