Stomp Out Laziness
Allowing employees to do less than their fair share is unfair to other employees. It destroys productivity and can cause resentment and poor motivation among your other employees. As a manager, the trick is finding successful techniques to hold the employee accountable and creating a positive change of attitude and work habits.
When an employee is lazy:
- Assign specific tasks and non-negotiable deadlines. Make sure that you've matched tasks to the employee's skills and that you've created realistic, yet challenging deadlines.
- Hold the employee accountable by stating consequences. This can be effectively managed through the ongoing review process and should always be documented for your protection-- and the employee's.
- Follow up and follow through. As a manager or supervisor, it's very easy to get so busy with your own tasks that sometimes it's difficult to find the time to follow through on checking deadlines and enforcing consequences. Realize that while you may be investing more time initially, you'll save time in the long run by getting your employee back on track and demonstrating your commitment to performance and productivity to your other employees.
- Use praise when appropriate. While an employee may be "just doing what they're supposed to," each of us enjoys a pat on the back for a job well done. This is especially true when you are trying to get an employee to change his behavior and you want to reinforce a positive change.
- Watch out for reverse delegation. This is a difficult problem to address, and it takes an astute manager to recognize and prevent it. Assign tasks that you know the employee can handle and expect them to fulfill their obligations without your direct supervision. Don't allow them to get others to do their work for them!
To learn how to get the most out of your employees by being a more effective manager or supervisor, plan on attending SkillPath's compelling two-day seminar
How to Excel at Managing and Supervising People. There's one coming soon to a city near you.
