Q: My supervisor is a relaxed manager. Our tiny business is located close to the State House. Most of us work hard, I believe. Occasionally, someone—typically the same person—pushes it past the bounds of what most of us consider appropriate. This worker is going to walk around the Boston Common for a while. Or he will go to Newbury Street and window shop. Sometimes, this lunch break lasts longer than two hours. He should be doing the job, but some of us feel that a lot of it is being placed on our desks. Ryan need more downtime than most, therefore our boss will manufacture reasons. Although I enjoy the laid-back atmosphere, Ryan tends to go outside the bounds more than anyone else. Our manager seldom ever offers challenging criticism. Most of the time, everyone does their share. When he wants to work hard, even Ryan can contribute well. Sometimes he just appears lazy. How should a business or manager react when one person doesn’t seem to be carrying their fair share of the workload? Our manager is a new manager, but I’m not sure if that matters. My manager hasn’t had much training, in my opinion. Is it possible to turn this ship around?
A lot of businesses are currently concentrating on staff retention and engagement. Additionally, businesses are granting workers a little more flexibility throughout the workday if they anticipate that workers will be accessible on the weekends and in the evenings. Having said that, the majority of workers value and respect such an atmosphere. On the other hand, some people abuse this flexibility. If they can still finish their work, several organizations are offering their staff the option of working flexible hours. Managers are comparing an employee’s productivity and outcomes to the actual hours worked, rather than keeping track of when they punch in and out. The true inquiry is whether Ryan does his assigned tasks and meets your manager’s expectations. Regretfully, a lot of managers are thrust into supervisory positions without receiving any training or mentoring.
These habits may also be noticed by your management. In addition to being seen as a lazy, Ryan might be working remotely till one in the morning to meet the deadline. It’s possible that neither you nor I are aware of what goes on behind the scenes. There must be some degree of trust between your manager and his staff. Your manager should speak with Ryan about these issues if he is abusing that trust and failing to do his work. Your manager ought to make an effort to be reliable as well. If he talks to others about performance issues, he ought to talk to other staff members about those issues as well. If your boss is dealing with Ryan’s performance issues, you might not be aware of it. Although it might be taking place, this is usually a private procedure.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Receive all the information you require to begin your day, given directly to your inbox each morning.