New Guy In Town
If you have been given the job assignment to enter a position where there needs to be some major changes, you may want to get your guns loaded and your flak jacket zipped. They used to call this person “the hatchet man” because he often was instructed to cut waste and/or jobs. He went from company to company as the steel hearted guy making tough decisions based entirely on economic needs. He had the reputation of having no heart or care for the plight of people. Even though this seldom happens this way today, employees still carry the dread of a new person coming into a bad situation to make things better.
If you are the person who has been chosen, it is best to do your research prior to entering that job place. Some things you may want to learn first:
What are the motives of the upper management in placing you in this position? You may think it is straight forward but asking some questions may help. Exactly what are their expectations - and is this in writing? If they can’t state the specifics of what they want from you and aren’t willing to commit in writing, is there a chance you are being sacrificed or made a scape goat? Do they want to “say” they are making progress but in reality, they want failure for other reasons?
Is upper management all or partly to blame for what happened? Did they provide the necessary goals, materials, and people for the previous person? Will they support your decisions or do they sabotage the middle manager’s work? Are they committed to success? You will probably not get answers from the board of directors or upper management if you ask these questions. But, you must gain the answers before you know how this job will go for you. Listen to what isn’t said or how things are said. Listen to that little voice in the back of your mind. Understand if something feels funny, it usually means there is something going on which isn’t being discussed.
Ask for the goals, the time line, the reason, their expectations for you, their commitment to you, their vision for the future, where your work/department fits into the future, and how they want you to keep them informed. Don’t leave anything to guess work.
Once you have accepted the position, make sure you have an outline of what you are planning to accomplish so you may meet with the employees the first day. They will be uneasy and curious. The longer you wait before telling them why you are there and what you hope to accomplish, the more rumors will take hold and sabotage your entry.
I would not entertain talk of the prior supervisor or this person’s management style, mistakes, highlights, personal tidbits, or gossip. This person was not your problem and not your employee. Taking that out of the mix right from the start makes a cleaner break and won’t badly reflect on you. Admit you don’t know the situation and you are too busy concentrating on what you wish to accomplish, starting today, to talk about this person.
It’s all right to talk to the employees you are to supervise but realize you may be hearing only a portion or one-sided view of what happened in the past. Encouraging too much of this kind of rehashing simply clouds your decisions. You will also find the very people most willing to talk with you about the past are typically the problem employees. Good employees prefer to keep working and keep their head down. The employees you will be supervising may not want to accept the need for changes because it might (or they fear it might) affect their jobs. Being open to comments in your new department is common courtesy but setting a limit on how much time or how much “stuff” you want to hear may be wise. You don’t want to immediately get the reputation of encouraging snitches. That reputation will only stop facts and important information from coming your way. You may want to initiate a policy of welcoming solutions but not welcoming rehashing the past or discussing who is to blame about the past.
You must walk the talk. Employees will be watching you closely to see if you are all talk and no action. Or, if you talk one story and are actually there to do something else. It is absolutely necessary that you build employee confidence in you. Your consistent high integrity and backbone in the face of change and adversity are mandatory. Your calm and cool head when your employees are in chaos will help level the emotions surrounding what may be happening.
Being able to honestly answer employee questions will go a long way in building trust. This is another reason to have answers from your boss before starting the job. If there are things you cannot discuss with employees, have the courtesy to tell them, "At the present time the company has not announced this plan." When they do, you will be sure to tell them.
I know a company where high level management often forgot to keep their supervisors informed prior to releasing information to the media or to other sources. This so undercut the respect supervisors gained from their employees. If you find yourself in this situation, consider why management does this to its supervisors. Do they just need to be reminded of how much this hurts the supervisory process or do they simply have a lack of respect for the supervisors? Some companies encourage an atmosphere of chaos by these tactics to keep employees off guard and insecure. They feel this level of a dysfunction actually helps them manage requests for more pay or more equipment. They slowly make employees feel “they” are to blame for all the problems and “they” should be satisfied with whatever crumbs come their way. It happens in a way as to make employees feel they have no other job/business they can go to because they have so little value to any employer. It’s a sad way to do business but not all that unusual especially in some blue collar organizations. I call it street bully management.
Telling employees over and over again what is happening, in different formats (memos, meetings, individual talk, etc.) is necessary to gain their confidence. If they become confident in your integrity and motives, they will be part of the solution. Although you will be very busy doing many things to get this department straightened up, still make sure you take time every day to talk with employees and be visible to your employees. Even if it is a simple walk through to say “hello” and “good morning,” it shows you are really there and caring.
Realize you will not be able to please all employees. To do this tough job, you may have to make tough decisions concerning how jobs are done, what equipment is provided, and who actually will continue to be employed. Again, integrity is the most important skill you can exercise. If you do your job fairly and with respect for the employee, you will be respected. Caring about the employee, personally, even when you must make tough decisions will let them know you are doing the best you can in the hard situation. There are times when you cannot make the best decision. You must make the best decision you can with what you have at the moment.
Expect this kind of job to mature you in many ways. If you handle the work with integrity and with a respect for your employees, you will mature and not become bitter. If you handle your decisions with integrity, you will come to the end of this position with valuable experience in the work place and in human nature. You will respect yourself for your decisions knowing you did it well. Note that I didn’t say you made everyone happy or even that every decision made you happy. I said, "You did it well."
II Corinthians 7:2-6 “Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”
If you are the person who has been chosen, it is best to do your research prior to entering that job place. Some things you may want to learn first:
What are the motives of the upper management in placing you in this position? You may think it is straight forward but asking some questions may help. Exactly what are their expectations - and is this in writing? If they can’t state the specifics of what they want from you and aren’t willing to commit in writing, is there a chance you are being sacrificed or made a scape goat? Do they want to “say” they are making progress but in reality, they want failure for other reasons?
Is upper management all or partly to blame for what happened? Did they provide the necessary goals, materials, and people for the previous person? Will they support your decisions or do they sabotage the middle manager’s work? Are they committed to success? You will probably not get answers from the board of directors or upper management if you ask these questions. But, you must gain the answers before you know how this job will go for you. Listen to what isn’t said or how things are said. Listen to that little voice in the back of your mind. Understand if something feels funny, it usually means there is something going on which isn’t being discussed.
Ask for the goals, the time line, the reason, their expectations for you, their commitment to you, their vision for the future, where your work/department fits into the future, and how they want you to keep them informed. Don’t leave anything to guess work.
Once you have accepted the position, make sure you have an outline of what you are planning to accomplish so you may meet with the employees the first day. They will be uneasy and curious. The longer you wait before telling them why you are there and what you hope to accomplish, the more rumors will take hold and sabotage your entry.
I would not entertain talk of the prior supervisor or this person’s management style, mistakes, highlights, personal tidbits, or gossip. This person was not your problem and not your employee. Taking that out of the mix right from the start makes a cleaner break and won’t badly reflect on you. Admit you don’t know the situation and you are too busy concentrating on what you wish to accomplish, starting today, to talk about this person.
It’s all right to talk to the employees you are to supervise but realize you may be hearing only a portion or one-sided view of what happened in the past. Encouraging too much of this kind of rehashing simply clouds your decisions. You will also find the very people most willing to talk with you about the past are typically the problem employees. Good employees prefer to keep working and keep their head down. The employees you will be supervising may not want to accept the need for changes because it might (or they fear it might) affect their jobs. Being open to comments in your new department is common courtesy but setting a limit on how much time or how much “stuff” you want to hear may be wise. You don’t want to immediately get the reputation of encouraging snitches. That reputation will only stop facts and important information from coming your way. You may want to initiate a policy of welcoming solutions but not welcoming rehashing the past or discussing who is to blame about the past.
You must walk the talk. Employees will be watching you closely to see if you are all talk and no action. Or, if you talk one story and are actually there to do something else. It is absolutely necessary that you build employee confidence in you. Your consistent high integrity and backbone in the face of change and adversity are mandatory. Your calm and cool head when your employees are in chaos will help level the emotions surrounding what may be happening.
Being able to honestly answer employee questions will go a long way in building trust. This is another reason to have answers from your boss before starting the job. If there are things you cannot discuss with employees, have the courtesy to tell them, "At the present time the company has not announced this plan." When they do, you will be sure to tell them.
I know a company where high level management often forgot to keep their supervisors informed prior to releasing information to the media or to other sources. This so undercut the respect supervisors gained from their employees. If you find yourself in this situation, consider why management does this to its supervisors. Do they just need to be reminded of how much this hurts the supervisory process or do they simply have a lack of respect for the supervisors? Some companies encourage an atmosphere of chaos by these tactics to keep employees off guard and insecure. They feel this level of a dysfunction actually helps them manage requests for more pay or more equipment. They slowly make employees feel “they” are to blame for all the problems and “they” should be satisfied with whatever crumbs come their way. It happens in a way as to make employees feel they have no other job/business they can go to because they have so little value to any employer. It’s a sad way to do business but not all that unusual especially in some blue collar organizations. I call it street bully management.
Telling employees over and over again what is happening, in different formats (memos, meetings, individual talk, etc.) is necessary to gain their confidence. If they become confident in your integrity and motives, they will be part of the solution. Although you will be very busy doing many things to get this department straightened up, still make sure you take time every day to talk with employees and be visible to your employees. Even if it is a simple walk through to say “hello” and “good morning,” it shows you are really there and caring.
Realize you will not be able to please all employees. To do this tough job, you may have to make tough decisions concerning how jobs are done, what equipment is provided, and who actually will continue to be employed. Again, integrity is the most important skill you can exercise. If you do your job fairly and with respect for the employee, you will be respected. Caring about the employee, personally, even when you must make tough decisions will let them know you are doing the best you can in the hard situation. There are times when you cannot make the best decision. You must make the best decision you can with what you have at the moment.
Expect this kind of job to mature you in many ways. If you handle the work with integrity and with a respect for your employees, you will mature and not become bitter. If you handle your decisions with integrity, you will come to the end of this position with valuable experience in the work place and in human nature. You will respect yourself for your decisions knowing you did it well. Note that I didn’t say you made everyone happy or even that every decision made you happy. I said, "You did it well."
II Corinthians 7:2-6 “Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”
posted by Diane Gibson at
8:22 AM
