RUINING GOOD EMPLOYEES
Complaints are heard all over the reservation about the
poor work ethic of employees. Some programs seem to run
quite well, though, while others have continuous problems.
The good news is that you, as a manager can have an impact.
Over the years, we have witnessed many managers ruin what
could be a good employee. Here is how NOT to let it happen
to you.
Mavis comes to work for her first week and notices that all
of her co-workers come in late. Office hours are supposed
to be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but when Mavis arrives at 9,
she has to wait ten, fifteen or thirty minutes until her
supervisor or one of the other employees who has a key
shows up. She sits in her car with the heater on, smoking
cigarettes and wondering about this. Sometimes, a client
shows up close to 9 a.m. and they sit outside together.
Mavis feels a little bad that these young mothers they are
supposed to serve get here and have to wait in the cold
with their children until someone arrives to let them in.
This doesn't happen very often, though, because most people
know the staff is usually late.
She asks her supervisor, Allen, if they are all supposed to
be there at 9. The supervisor insists, that, yes, work
starts at 9 and everyone better be on time. However, she
notices that Allen does not usually show up himself until
9:30 and he makes no comments to the other workers who come
in some time between ten o'clock and noon. After a few
weeks, Mavis starts coming in at 9:30 herself. She figures,
she is still one of the first people there, and besides,
everyone else comes in late. Allen doesn't say anything to
her about this.
A few more months go by. Mavis likes working with the young
women, many of them are girls, really. She helps them with
their schoolwork and job applications as part of the
project's Literacy Program. One or two come every day to
see her, but most come only once in a while. Even when they
make appointments with her, they don't often show up.
Still, Mavis thinks its very important for her to be there
when they do come in. Those who work with her regularly
really are improving their writing ability.
Sarah, the accounting clerk, works at the desk next to
Mavis. She misses work most Fridays and a lot of Mondays in
the summer because she is a real pow-wow person. One day,
the grant report is late because Allen did not have the
numbers he needed from Sarah for the budget. He stomps over
to her desk, very angry, and yells that she needs to start
coming in when she is scheduled and doing her job. Sarah
gives him a sullen look. She works all day to get the
budget report done. She comes to work on Friday and the
next Monday. On the next Friday, she is gone to a pow-wow
in Wisconsin. When she comes back, Allen doesn't say
anything.
Two weeks later, Sarah calls Mavis at home and asks if
she'd like to leave Thursday night to drive with her to the
pow-wow at Crow Agency in Montana, since she knows Mavis
has relatives there who she hasn't seen in a while. Mavis
hesitates a moment and then answers, "Sure, why not?"
What was your first experience like as an employee? Was it
a success or a failure? Do you think the experience worked
more to 'ruin' you or did it help you become a better
employee. We'd really, really like to hear about it. You
can be anonymous if you want, just don't enter your email
or name.
Click here to let us know about your
experience.
Next: How your home life affects your work
life