my 2p worth
If you have 7 people working for you and 6 are positive, flexible and helpful and 1 who is negative, disruptive, always having problems, a work-to-rule person, would you manage all of them in the same way?
The 6 you could delegate to, have a collaborative coaching style with and be confident in their self management and decision-making skills.
You would manage them in a completely different way to the person who needed constant prodding to get things done, was always a ‘victim of circumstance’ (I’m late because my car broke down, etc)
Funny how it’s never the fault of this person, always someone else.
Funny how you never get the same problems with your top performers.
A good manager uses different techniques to manage these two types of people.
It seems strange to me that people think it an alien thing to actually enjoy their job and that if they voluntarily want to work through their lunch hour, that they are somehow deranged or the employer is being unfair in some way.
Most people who work through their lunch or beyond what is expected because they want to, often derive other recompense for their efforts. Whether that is having the flexibility to leave 10mins early etc or maybe seeing the face of a happy customer because their order is completed on time or against the odds.
I like my job, I’m happy to be flexible. I like to think that I work hard and contribute to the success of the team and am valued by my boss. The money pays the bills, but its not why I get out of bed in the morning.
I also see those that think they are owed a living, do as little as incompetently possible, are always ‘treated unfairly’. They never seem to be able to organise themselves to get to work on time, or sort their childcare, or doctors appointments, all their kit seems to go wrong more often that others.
They just will not put work higher on their list of important things they have to do to get by.
However, ask them to turn up on time for a free beer and see the response.
