Hello,
I am new in HR and have no supervisor to guide. I need advice for a recent incident in our office. During a meeting in which all our staff members were present, a senior member behaved improperly. She criticized the working of the member and pointed out certain pointless flaws in ppts e.g. data is not sorted in ascending or descending order, The method used to calculate values should be some other not this, definitions of the terms used are wrong, and why the fax and printer machines are not near her office etc. she openly commented that no one performs their duties and no one is significant enough in this organization but her team. She even said that if it were not for her team, no one would have been getting salaries. Due to this the whole meeting looked like mess and everybody present there felt irritated. Later in the day the aftereffects showed up as members were seen gossiping about all this. When talked to in person she openly said that no one in this organization is doing their job properly and my team is under the impression that only they are working to the most. She accused me of lobbying with presenter and others and said I am only trying to defend them.
My concern was that even if no one is performing, she shouldn’t have commented like so and mocked everybody for being in support teams. This is highly demotivating. Please let me know how to warn her of her behavior, any format? Or what should I be doing as I do not want to encourage her as well as upset her to be even more intimidating in future. She has unique leadership abilities which we really appreciate.
Nascent HR
From Pakistan, Muzaffarabad
1I am new in HR and have no supervisor to guide. I need advice for a recent incident in our office. During a meeting in which all our staff members were present, a senior member behaved improperly. She criticized the working of the member and pointed out certain pointless flaws in ppts e.g. data is not sorted in ascending or descending order, The method used to calculate values should be some other not this, definitions of the terms used are wrong, and why the fax and printer machines are not near her office etc. she openly commented that no one performs their duties and no one is significant enough in this organization but her team. She even said that if it were not for her team, no one would have been getting salaries. Due to this the whole meeting looked like mess and everybody present there felt irritated. Later in the day the aftereffects showed up as members were seen gossiping about all this. When talked to in person she openly said that no one in this organization is doing their job properly and my team is under the impression that only they are working to the most. She accused me of lobbying with presenter and others and said I am only trying to defend them.
My concern was that even if no one is performing, she shouldn’t have commented like so and mocked everybody for being in support teams. This is highly demotivating. Please let me know how to warn her of her behavior, any format? Or what should I be doing as I do not want to encourage her as well as upset her to be even more intimidating in future. She has unique leadership abilities which we really appreciate.
Nascent HR
From Pakistan, Muzaffarabad
As per my views you should hold the control over Associates, in this situation you may give her a verbal warning.
From India, Pune
From India, Pune
Dear friend,
Other senior members have given their suggestions or have asked their queries on your post. Please clarify on these. While clarifying, confirm your designation, to whom you report, number of employees in your company, the type of your industry etc.
Let us analyse the cause of this incident. Incidents like these happen when:
a) Managers are made accountable to their deliverables and not for the organisation's culture as such. Creation of performance-centric culture is important but performance is also linked to the motivation or demotivation of the employees. They are not accountable to for the motivation of the employees.
b) Managers do not know components of organisation's culture and how it fosters or hinders the growth of the company
c) Managers are not taught the importance of maintaining healthy interpersonal environment in the company.
d) Managers are not taught how to give feedback, when to give and where to give.
Solution: - Rather than taking on the senior member directly, I recommend you submitting report on the meeting to the MD of your company. Again to whom you report that also matters. If you do not report to MD directly, then discuss this with the person to whom you report. Obtain his/her views. If your designation is too low then pass on buck upward. If you are also Manager then you may talk to your MD. The managers needs to be given feedback on the wrong method of giving feedback. She has violated basic principle of motivation i.e. praise in public and criticise in private.
The incident must reach to the ears of MD. If MD also favours her then it goes on to show that he also is not interested in maintaining healthy organisation's culture. In that case, just wait for few more months/years and move on.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Other senior members have given their suggestions or have asked their queries on your post. Please clarify on these. While clarifying, confirm your designation, to whom you report, number of employees in your company, the type of your industry etc.
Let us analyse the cause of this incident. Incidents like these happen when:
a) Managers are made accountable to their deliverables and not for the organisation's culture as such. Creation of performance-centric culture is important but performance is also linked to the motivation or demotivation of the employees. They are not accountable to for the motivation of the employees.
b) Managers do not know components of organisation's culture and how it fosters or hinders the growth of the company
c) Managers are not taught the importance of maintaining healthy interpersonal environment in the company.
d) Managers are not taught how to give feedback, when to give and where to give.
Solution: - Rather than taking on the senior member directly, I recommend you submitting report on the meeting to the MD of your company. Again to whom you report that also matters. If you do not report to MD directly, then discuss this with the person to whom you report. Obtain his/her views. If your designation is too low then pass on buck upward. If you are also Manager then you may talk to your MD. The managers needs to be given feedback on the wrong method of giving feedback. She has violated basic principle of motivation i.e. praise in public and criticise in private.
The incident must reach to the ears of MD. If MD also favours her then it goes on to show that he also is not interested in maintaining healthy organisation's culture. In that case, just wait for few more months/years and move on.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Such matters concerning a HOD needs careful handling.
First thing is you should have verbally informed CEO which is the head of the organisation and followed it up in writing after seeing the reaction of CEO.
I presume you are junior to this lady in the organisation,though not working under her supervision.
Not withstanding this,matters concerning behaviour of senior people need very diplomatic and tactful handling.
I would now go to CEO and place full facts of the case and how she reacted on reading your email on the topic.
Treat her outbursts calmly and do not react angrily or fearfully.
From India, Pune
First thing is you should have verbally informed CEO which is the head of the organisation and followed it up in writing after seeing the reaction of CEO.
I presume you are junior to this lady in the organisation,though not working under her supervision.
Not withstanding this,matters concerning behaviour of senior people need very diplomatic and tactful handling.
I would now go to CEO and place full facts of the case and how she reacted on reading your email on the topic.
Treat her outbursts calmly and do not react angrily or fearfully.
From India, Pune
Hello Madanagopalswamy,
I sincerely suggest you to post your suggestions AFTER going/reading thru the remarks/comments/suggestions of ALL the Postings prior to your's.
That will save everyone a lot of trouble--ABSOLUTELY no ill meaning here. I am NOT basing these comments only on this thread.
In this case, here's a lady who seems to be out of her wits on what to do & such suggestions are ONLY bound to confuse her further.
Let's assume she REALLY follows your suggestion in the presumption that you are SENIOR & experienced in HR....without realizing the consequences......and calls the HOD lady to her table/cabin--I am sure you can imagine the next scene in that office & WHO'S to blame for that scenario? Does she deserve that scenario just for asking help thru this Forum? Upto you to figure-out.
@ Anonymous--
First & foremost, in ANY such situations--now or later--putting things in writing, even for just a query or clarification should be the LAST resort OR when one wants to build-up a case for drastic action later, whatever it may be.
Like Nathrao suggested, go to your MD & give the facts of the situation.......NOT like you complain but just the plain facts as you noticed it. And IF you think that's a bit tricky to handle, suggest put the views as those of some employees & what you noticed about the gossiping. DON'T push it too hard.....like Dinesh Divekar mentioned, if the MD is also not too serious [which is quite possible, given this HOD lady's value to the Company], just forget it. @ the EoD, the MD ought to worry more than you.
Unfortunately, achievers in small Companies get into this mindset that THEY carry the WHOLE organization on their shoulders.....in short they 'feel' they are indispensable & the CEO/MD usually doesn't have the guts to control this nature until it becomes too overbearing & in all likelihood usually would lead to rough exits than solutions.
But I wouldn't agree with Dinesh Divekar when he says '............just wait for few more months/years and move on.'.....frankly, I don't see this going more than a few months here IF the MD ignores, going by what you mention.
All the Best.
Rgds,
TS
From India, Hyderabad
I sincerely suggest you to post your suggestions AFTER going/reading thru the remarks/comments/suggestions of ALL the Postings prior to your's.
That will save everyone a lot of trouble--ABSOLUTELY no ill meaning here. I am NOT basing these comments only on this thread.
In this case, here's a lady who seems to be out of her wits on what to do & such suggestions are ONLY bound to confuse her further.
Let's assume she REALLY follows your suggestion in the presumption that you are SENIOR & experienced in HR....without realizing the consequences......and calls the HOD lady to her table/cabin--I am sure you can imagine the next scene in that office & WHO'S to blame for that scenario? Does she deserve that scenario just for asking help thru this Forum? Upto you to figure-out.
@ Anonymous--
First & foremost, in ANY such situations--now or later--putting things in writing, even for just a query or clarification should be the LAST resort OR when one wants to build-up a case for drastic action later, whatever it may be.
Like Nathrao suggested, go to your MD & give the facts of the situation.......NOT like you complain but just the plain facts as you noticed it. And IF you think that's a bit tricky to handle, suggest put the views as those of some employees & what you noticed about the gossiping. DON'T push it too hard.....like Dinesh Divekar mentioned, if the MD is also not too serious [which is quite possible, given this HOD lady's value to the Company], just forget it. @ the EoD, the MD ought to worry more than you.
Unfortunately, achievers in small Companies get into this mindset that THEY carry the WHOLE organization on their shoulders.....in short they 'feel' they are indispensable & the CEO/MD usually doesn't have the guts to control this nature until it becomes too overbearing & in all likelihood usually would lead to rough exits than solutions.
But I wouldn't agree with Dinesh Divekar when he says '............just wait for few more months/years and move on.'.....frankly, I don't see this going more than a few months here IF the MD ignores, going by what you mention.
All the Best.
Rgds,
TS
From India, Hyderabad
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Disciplinary+si tuations+includ e+misconduct+an dor+poor+perfor mance[1].doc