Discipline (or What About Bob?)

(Ah, Bob. Everyone knows someone like Bob, even if we haven't had to supervise him before.) The lecture mentions that managers should act early, before the problem becomes a habit and stricter measures need to be taken. Unfortunately, in Bob's case, it seems that his previous supervisors did not take the appropriate actions to address his problems with lateness and negative morale when they first occurred. Even worse, they neglected to document his bad habits, so that there is no record of his problematic behavior (with the possible exception of his constantly being transferred from one department to the next). This leaves me in a tight spot, as his behavior is holding up the team from completing the project. Here's what I would say to Bob if I were to talk with him:

Part One

The talk would run along the lines of a counseling rather than a reprimanding session. Even though we are behind schedule, it is important to not skip this step, both for legal and for interpersonal puporses. As unbelievable as it may seem, it is possible that no one has ever told Bob that his behavior is a problem, especially if no one has wanted to deal with him up until now. It may be that he is unaware that he comes across as hostile and gruff, and that his attitude is negatively affecting team morale, because he lacks self-awareness or emotional intelligence, or because he is suffering from a psychological or emotional disorder (in which case, I would refer him to EAP, if I was to discover that during the course of the counseling session). It is also possible that perhaps he does not understand what is being asked of him, or that perhaps he lacks the skills or is not properly supported to complete his tasks, and is too proud or stubborn to ask for training or help. (The case study mentioned that he has been with the company for 12 years, during which there may have been many changes made that he is not comfortable with.) If seen in this light, his complaints may be a cry for help, however clumsy they might seem.

At any rate, I cannot assume that he is acting out because of malice without trying to determine the root causes of his behavior. As a manager or supervisor, it is my job to identify these causes, and to try to work with him to correct his problems, before we get even further behind. It is more difficult to justify his running late all the time, but even there, I need to ask why this is happening. Perhaps he needs a schedule readjustment that will allow him to come in later (and conversely stay later), so that technically he will not be late for his shift. (As the lecture points out, discipline should be something that is done *with* not *to* an employee.)

Thus, I would sit down with Bob, and I would start by saying something like "Bob, I know that you've been with the company for a long time, and I appreciate having your knowledge and expertise on my team," as a way of acknowledging his seniority (even though it's been a decidedly mixed bag, at best), and as a means of allaying his defenses and letting him know that I am not here to attack him. I would emphasize that as a veteran employee, he understands how important his part is to the team, and how we can't afford to let his part run behind because it affects the whole project. I would mention that I have noticed that he has not seemed very happy at work (to put it tactfully), and that unfortunately, his comments have been negatively impacting his co-workers. I would ask what we can do to make his situation better, and whether there is anything he needs to help complete his part of the project (If he is receptive to my inquiries, I will address his hostile and gruff demeanor later on the discussion.) In this way, I would try to affirm his importance to the organization and to the project, and I would try to demonstrate that I am willing to work with him to resolve any underlying problems or concerns that he may feel have not been addressed. (Even though the lecture says not to record counseling sessions, in light of the organization's poor record of documentation, I think it would be better to go ahead and write a memo to document this session.)

Part Two

Any further steps on my part will be determined by how Bob responds to this initial counseling session. It may be that a light bulb will go on in his head, and that he will be so happy to have his concerns heard that the problem will be solved, and he will come in at regular hours (whatever time we decide upon), stop complaining, and get his part done on time, which would be the best case scenario. However, it is just as possible that he will continue to behave the same as he always has, and/or that he will brush off my attempts to help him during the counseling session. His reply to what we can do to improve his situation may be to "fuck off" or to "fire the rest of the goddamn employees" (if he is really as gruff and hostile as the case study implies) which would be completely inappropriate, or he may reject any offers of help with his part of the project and insist that he can do it on his own. If he were to curse me during the counseling session, I might be able to issue a formal reprimand right away, depending on what the company policy is. However, regardless of how inappropriate his language is, I should probably try not to take it personally and deal with it in a non-emotional way (i.e., don't fire him on the spot). If he wants me to fire his teammates, I would have to point out that that's not possible and that he knows that, and try (if possible) to get to the bottom of any problems that he has with his co-workers. If he just plain hates other people, I would tell him that we're not asking him to become a social butterfly, but that if he wants to work here (or anywhere) that he will have to work with other people, and that all we're asking is that he be courteous and professional. (If he's truly a curmudgeon, there's probably not much we can do to change his personality, and I don't think the workplace should try to do so, but it is possible to suggest that he manage his more misanthropic tendencies so that he is not so disruptive or rude to others.)

If he refuses any offers of help, I would tell him that I will give him a week's trial to see if he can try to get up-to-speed by himself. If he can't, it may be necessary to assign somebody to work with him, in spite of his objections. This probably won't be fun for the person who has to work with him, so I may have to offer some kind of incentive to encourage them to help Bob out, such as employee recognition for helping out the team or perhaps some time off at the end of the project for taking on some extra duties.

If Bob agrees to make some changes, yet persists in his previous behavior, I would have to take my actions to the next level, and possibly prepare a written warning. I would first call him in again, and ask why he hasn't been doing what we talked about. As with the initial counseling session, I would try to see if there are any new underlying reasons that I may not be aware of. If there are, as before, I would try to support him as best as I can, but I would warn him that if he can't turn himself around, that I will have to file a written warning, consisting of the three parts mentioned in the lecture: a statement about the past, reviewing his history with respect to the problem; a statement about the present, including his explanation for the current situation, and a statement about the future, including my expectations and the consequences of continued failure. I would also warn him that if he continues to behave as he has in the past, that he may face suspension without pay and/or possibly termination. If he reacts badly to the written warning (as he probably will), I would explain to him that it is not personal, and that although I do not wish to do so, I am required to as part of my job. (This may or may not be true, but as someone else pointed out, it deflects the blame from you to the organization's bureaucratic rules.) If he does not change after receiving repeated written warnings with progressively stronger consequence statements (I would give him at least one more), then I would have to take the next step of discussing a potential suspension without pay with Bob, and failing that, possibly termination. At each step, I would document the discussions that took place, including Bob's explanations, and what action was taken, in order to provide a complete written record to demonstrate that all of the proper disciplinary measures have been exhausted, in case we have to terminate Bob and/or in case Bob decides to take us to court.

Discipline is not punishment, and should be worked out with the employee, not against them. It is my hope that the problem will not escalate to the level of suspension and/or termination, but if it does, perhaps that is the best thing for everyone, including Bob. If he does not change, it may be that he doesn't want to change, especially after all of the effort that I will have put in to try to help him. It would be difficult to interpret his refusal to change as anything less than his not wanting to work here, and perhaps he would be happier in another organization. But hopefully, it will not come to that. Hopefully, somewhere along the line, Bob gets his act together and becomes a productive, functional employee who contributes to the well-being and progress of the organization.