IT Employment

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Dealing with Coworkers

0 helpful
22 replies

by vince_clores

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
As a young MIS officer and IT personnel of our college, i always had a hardtime dealing with coemployees who loves to wallow in their negativism and laziness. Reporting to the top management of their irresponsibility after several attempts of reminding them their part in my projects resulted in ruined relationship and worst of all heated arguments. I always regret the fact that they are older and had rendered longer years of service than me. Late submission of reports and compliance to my requests is my greatest problem. Any advice please?

22 replies

by svs1each

"i always had a hardtime dealing with coemployees who loves to wallow in their negativism and laziness" What do you do to build morale and a team environment? They wallow because you dont give them anything else to focus on. Some people wallow, some will come ashore when given the right incentive.

"Reporting to the top management of their irresponsibility" Skipping the chain of command and going to the top shows that you couldnt take care of it yourself (whether you tried or not) and that you need help, when you probably didnt.
Shows them that you're not willing to solve the problem at the lowest level- with them.

"several attempts of reminding them their part in my projects" Their parts in your projects doesnt exactly engender them to your goal. When you get them to buy into their role in the project as a team, then its not yours- it becomes theirs too. They'll want to do well when it's their investment, not just your project wherein their another person making it work for you.

"Late submission of reports and compliance to my requests" Compliance to a request is not going to get results. It's like saying to a screaming child, "Stop screaming please" Request is saying its ok to not do it because there are no consequences. Compliance to an order/demand (I'm military) is when they know there are consequences to not following up. Have you stated those to them. What happens when they dont fulfill their job reqment?

It's not always everyone else, sometimes its you.

by vince_clores

Thanks for your militaristic and very strong advice! In our organization it is the job of the administrative officer who belongs to the top management to repremand my coworkers(I should say subordinate if they are directly under me) of their neglegence. Many times did i and that fellow faced and agreed to work hand in hand in front of our admin officer but still he couldn't do his job and keep on wallowing to his laziness thereby affecting my project. Any advice?

by svs1each

My thoughts were not militaristic by any means- they are straight out of any team/managerial book. What we have in the military is very similar to civilian, except the UCMJ aspect and well- everything is focused on planes and bombs.

Your project... there it is again. If your admin officer does the 'reprimanding', when do you get to implement your expectations and consequences? If you dont lay those out, how do they know what the boundaries/guidelines are?

Again, if your co-workers dont 'buy into' the project and they're only assigned to it because you need manpower and not a team, well you're fighting a losing battle. You were set-up.

If you have to run to someone else everytime your co-workers arent performing, you arent being empowered by your boss and you lack validity. I have plenty of superiors but I'm the superior of my facility (35 troops) and they answer to me and I answer up. It only works with a chain of command and you're not in it, when you should be.

You cant have your admin. standing over them saying, "So-so needs you to work" and you stand there going "Yeah do it" .. thats never going to work. Unless I'm asking my troops to do something wholly unsafe and illegal, I'm very much supported by my superiors to run my facility. I'm responsible to my subords to do the same thing.

by worker bee

When in a leadership role it is always important to set a good example. When you are the hardest working person on the team and you always give yourself the least desireable assignments it is much easier to get respect and cooperation from the other team members. It also helps to make a point of showing your appreciation to the team members that do cooperate. Also, it helps to promptly address any legitimate complaints they may have so they see you as a valuable potential ally, not just someone who gives them extra work to do.

by svs1each

Lead from the front is a great way to garner respect and authority so you can demand more work/attention to the project but also a good leader is a good follower. Sometimes you have to elevate one, give them the responsibility and direction and let them have at it. Dont do so to set them up for failure, but show them it's not as easy as they think it is and you're asking for their hardwork not because you just want to make them work, it's really needed.

It's hard when you're assigned personnel to work on something you may be solely responsible for in the end.

by vince_clores

Leading from the front of course is what i am doing but unfortunately lazy individuals are already there hanging on my back that sometimes add weight to my heavy workload. Laying out my expectations to awaken them is perhaps the best remedy. Thanks!!!

by hal 9000

You don't have their respect and they are unwilling to help you in any manner whatsoever.

You have to learn to deligate responsibility as well. Think of it this way You have just started to get the piratical knowledge that you require for you're profession. That piece of paper that you may have only entitles you to start learning and every day is a new experience so enjoy it or get out of management there's no other way. One of my Uni Professors liked to constantly quote Albert Einstein to us and there is one quote that I really picked up upon which is unfortunately no longer used all that often but it is

"No student should ever be allowed out of "College/University" without knowing just how little they actually know!"

If you think along these lines it might help.

Col

by salamander

Reading your post made my own situation a bit clearer. As a civilian responsible for implementing a project in a quasi-military structure, my chain of command is different than the chain for the other folks working on the project. Any thoughts on how to establish validity and get things done?

by svs1each

Guess it depends on how your chain of command works.

Ex: I came into this field knowing nothing yet I was expected to command 2 facilities/34 airmen (AB-MSgt) I rely heavily on my managers and superintendent (50 yrs experience between them) to teach me. In turn, I do everything I can to support them, give them the resources to do their job, trust that they'll do what their expected to and when they dont I follow up with consequences (verbal warning through Art 15s)

When you're working in a small group project arena you have to explain what your goal is, put out goal deadlines, assign roles appropriately, follow-up w/ taskings/timelines, support with resources and positive feedback and roll to the end.

Negatives are dealt with accordingly. Fire them if you have to, reassign as necessary, but ensure they know what they're doing and why.

Validity comes with knowing what you're doing and giving them opportunity to contribute to the project. Follow, Lead and sometimes get out of the way.

"Shut up and color" just doesnt seem to fly in the civilian world.

by salamander

Thanks for the balanced reply.

As for the respective chains of command for this implementation, they only intersect at the ceilings (the head of my chain is the head of the chain for the other teammembers, but there is no other overlap). I've been pretty successful in not having to go up my chain to get things accomplished, and to deal with any conflicts at my level. As a civilian, however, I know that I have a harder time establishing credibility than I would if I were in my teammembers' chain.

I think that I sometimes forget that some negatives cannot be always balanced by adding more positive action on my part -- that negatives sometimes must be dealt with directly. On reflection, I've probably erred a bit too much in being overly supportive (such as accepting ongoing ranting on the parts of some) and not enough on encouraging the team members to get out there to tread water on their own. They are well-equipped; I know that they can do it. I've seen my role as doing whatever I can to help my teammembers with a somewhat unpopular implementation, as the project was externally imposed. I think that's important to maintain, but there are a couple of people that I really wish I could tell to "shut up and color"!

by hal 9000

Respect of those working under you and letting them all know that you are not willing to give them any jobs that you personally would be unwilling to perform.

I've seen far too many people who think that they are in charge when in actual fact it is always a "Team Effort" and how they behave when given a title. It somehow makes them think that they are better than others and this attitude only gets up peoples noses and causes them not to work to their abilities.

After all why bother when someone else will be the fall guy who keeps lording it over us and constantly telling us just how powerful he/she is?

Currently I run a small business that employees 10 teaches and every one of them worked for me when I used to work for a boss and they all hatted my guts while I was there and all wanted me back when I left. They tended to follow me around when I shifted jobs as well so it was only natural that they all approached me when I went out on my own.

I'm not such a nice guy to work with as I expect everyone to pull their weight but I also understand when things go wrong and what every one of my current employ has constantly told me is the one single thing that impresses them with me is that I always take on the nasty jobs and leave them to do the "Easy" work.

In other words I don't only take the cream and leave the rest for everyone else.

Col

by salamander

I agree that the title is meaningless; it's what you can do that counts. I've had the misfortune of working under more than one team leader who talked the talk but couldn't walk the walk, and I would never impose that on anyone.

I can truthfully say that I've always taken on the nastiest parts of the project I'm working on, most parts of which most of the team is not aware of. My head is the one on the chopping block if it fails; not theirs. Most of my team have come around after a time, but I've got a couple of sabateurs that there seems to be no pleasing. I suppose that's normal in any environment, but it bugs me.

by vince_clores

Thanks for your bright advice again. Now i found that what i lack is laying out my plans and expectations. It is endeed my fault to assume that the expectation of my admin to my performance is the same as my expectation to my coworker knowing the fact that we meet only during monthly general meetings. Now is the right time to lay it in front of my coworker for a try. I Hope it will work.

by svs1each

You'll find there is no 'pat' one answer to all your troubles because people are not the same, their troubles arent all the same BUT most solutions fit all problems.

OK this WILL sound corny, but its a great resource. Dont laugh "Managing Teams for Dummies" I use it as a desk reference for myself and while my MSgt laughs when he sees it, he doesnt know I'm secretly using it all the time (on him mind you too!)

Get the book, great to the point references and tips when other books lollygag over other issues. Another book I've read and reference a lot is "The Leadership Challenge" by Kisner/Pousze (I could have the authors wrong)

Basically, if this is your first go around- its not going to be pretty. You're going to make mistakes, your team will not hit all the high points and you will feel like you're not getting anything done. YET- you're learning every day and your admin (while they trust you to do the work and run the group) should always be open to mentoring you for future leadership skills. If they dont- they're not helping you, like you're not being able to help your co-workers.

by svs1each

Why arent their heads on the chopping block too? Maybe that should be emphasized as a consequence for lack of work/initiative/cooperation?

How do you know its sabotage and not just a lack of interest which comes off as sabotage in your eyes?

"Shut up and color" doesnt last for long and shouldnt be used in most cases unless the fight is on and you need someone right then/there to do it. Otherwise its a misuse of authority/leadership. I've rarely used it except in safety or crisis.

by salamander

I don't control who's on the chopping block -- that's WAY out of my realm of authority.

As for sabotage, I initially chalked the events in question up to a error that resulted from a need for additional training. I thought that until one the parties began to gloat over the resulting chaos. It was an act of commission, versus omission. I do have to admire the creativity, though! If only I could harness that power for good and not evil!

Thanks for the food for thought.

by vince_clores

You are right Col but it is also difficult i think to judge people and hurl your uni professor's passage to them. You are lucky perhaps because your country is serious in serving the people thereby producing learned individuals like you. Ours being a third world country have to settle sometimes on technically oriented individual like me than management oriented like you in running new departments because of economic problems. We are forced to handle departments just to make it functional and the top management and i hopes that through time we can get experience and learn. This is my case and i have to ask an advice on things i do not know because i believe that individuals like you have enough wisdom to share. Please remember that all of us started with little knowledge on things. I hope you get my point. Thanks anyway

by hal 9000

But if you can attempt to lead from the front by showing that you are willing to do all the "Nasty" work and more importantly that you will not ask you're staff to do anything that you are not willing to do you're self it is at least a start. It might not work out for you but at least you can say you tried you're dam-est.

Think of this as a "Learning Experience" and the worst that will happen is you don't get the project finished on time which isn't so bad as Microsoft constantly fails to get their new products out by the announced time.

Col

by vince_clores

Thank you Col! your advice is well taken. Any title of a management book you could recommend worth reading?

by hal 9000

15 Years ago when I started my own shop and while I do have 10 techs working for me I treat them more as co-workers rather than employees as they have all worked for me previously and know exactly what I require and keep coming back for more. Silly boys! But they all know where I stand and just how far I'll go to protect them if they haven't done anything wrong so they seem to know where that line in the sand is drawn. However my "Office Manager" is a different story. She seems to think that whenever I go out to a job and don't charge what the going rate is supposed to be I'm stealing from the company.

It doesn't matter one little bit that I get these customers for life and in most cases can never get rid of them once I've got them hooked. But I have never really understood how I can steal from myself so I will not go there.

But as far as books go anything from the Dummies series will work a treat as they at first seem oversimplified but carry far more information in an easy to understand manner than almost any other "Text Book" that I've ever run across. I can remember a long time ago I was told that I "MUSH HAVE" a car manual called VW's For the Complete Idiot well I baulked at that as I'd been working with VW's for so many years that I don't care to remember but once I had the thing I've never let it go while it is good for a laugh at times it has the ability to convey a lot of usefull information in a very short space and make things easy to understand. The same applies to the whole Dummies Series.

Col

by srini

Five R Technique.This is lenghtly Process helps handling difficult people.

Rapport Building:- Build a bridge / Remove the wall.

Recoginze : Focus on the missing. Forecasting your trap area.

Recall: Leave a mark.

Retrain: Again and again

Relook: Check if it's working or not?.
Re-orient & redesign the approach.

See if this could be of some help to deal.

Rgds
Srinivasan

by vasam

I agree with most of the postings ?shut up and color?, create a plan, creating teams, assigning tasks, post responsibility and monitor levels. I worked under the ?Military Approach? for 6 years and it was used to belittle and cause discontent. Because of down-sizing I moved around a fortune 500 company 8 times and at my level it was hard to find people because of the old timer?s prior nepotism in my group to work on the same statistical projects. Because of this I decided to recruit from different departments to give the projects a diverse perspective. Work gets done when you are working with people who enjoy work.

My efforts were not liked by my coworkers at all. But, management above my supervisor seemed to enjoy my efforts (Quality was increased by 150%) and allowed me train for a belt in Six Sigma.

After 8 years of uncomfortable employment the Quality group down-sized (NAFTA) and my supervisor moved into my position. I was not recognized until my exit interview and he was astounded with my Quality and Production contributions. Several supervisors asked me to dispute my lay-off and I declined.

I was the last of my level of 18 people to be layed-off and I learned a lot. Best of all I did not have to lower myself to the level of my coworkers and brown-nose or stab anyone in the back.

This discussion is closed to new replies.