The past few months have brought some new challenges to me at work. I’ve had to fire two people for attendance issues – but that’s’ fairly cut ‘n dried. I’ve had to fire someone because the larger company that bought us last year has tighter views on felonies.
But this year the interviewing, hiring, & firing is all in my hands. My first ‘hand picked’ CSR’s were in February 2012. I’m learning I have to get savvier at interviewing because I’m finding people can be very different once hired.
My challenging employee is helping me grow and I’d like to think I’m helping her grow. We have drastically different personalities. And here’s where I’d like to thank my husband who also is my opposite – dear hubby because of you – I was more prepared for this employee’s way of thinking and twisted sense of humor.
So about a month ago, I moved my employees around so I could have four empty cubes in a row for the new hire class starting. It’s easier to have all the new ones grouped together so I can answer questions quicker. Well this employee questioned why she got the cube she did. You see she did not get the one window cube I had left, instead she got the cube behind me. Now I knew she was going to be upset and question this. And had I thought about it more carefully I would have prepped her more for it. But I was raised with the ‘you have a job, be thankful for it, and do what you need to get the job done’ mentality. I would not think about questioning my boss about where I sat – I’d just say ‘you want me to sit where? yes ma’am.’
Ms. Employee asked why she was moved – and I advised that I needed to have four cubes in a row and there was only one window seat and I needed her coworker in that window spot, enough said right? No of course not. Ms. Employee didn’t like my answer and I advised there was not anything I could says that would make her ‘happy’ about her not getting the window spot. Ms. Employee then wanted to take lunch right then and there to get out of the office – well we can’t really do that – we’re a call center. So Ms. Employee said I was dominating and passive aggressive. I never really thought of myself as dominating *cracks her whip*.
I asked Ms. Employee if she’d like to take the conversation to another room. In private, I explained I needed her coworker further away to cut the apron springs which mean that Ms. Employee was unfortunately behind me because she was the more independent of the two. Ms. Employee then burst into apologetic tears when the light came on. She had jumped the worst opinion of me in a few minutes – thinking I was racist, thinking I was out to get her – but with some clarification she set herself straight. I again explained that I need her to give me the benefit of the doubt – our personalities don’t mesh but I really do want her to succeed in this job so she and I have to work twice as hard a communicating effectively. I explained that I had not wanted to discuss the reasoning as I wanted to protect the privacy of her co-worker. Things have been fairly better since.
Now, this outburst was not our first run in, so to be proactive I arranged a meeting with HR and myself to lay the ground work for the next event. We went over that whole situation looking at my perspective and hers. I would not have needed any prep, nor would I have questioned my employer’s decision. But in that conversation I understood that my employee may have felt like she had no rights in her job, like she was not part of the equation. I learned how better to engage and involve this employee to prep her of upcoming change so she’s not surprised. And I’m learning how to deliver the constructive criticisms in a very short form – I tend to be long winded, which works for some, but not for this employee – drop it and run.
I came away from the call understanding that I can hold the bar high for my employee – she certainly has responsibilities to meet the standards of the job. But I also learned that good leaders adapt their styles to their employees while teaching employees to grow in their jobs.
She’s not a ‘forever’ employee – she’s biding her time to move out of Alaska. And that’s fine – but I still want her to be successful while she’s here. I want to be able to give her a good review and recommend her to others when the time comes. I can say I’ve grown because of her and I’d like to think when she does move on she takes a little part of me with her too.
So here’s to personal growth.
I combined ideas from The Ice Bulb and LED Frosties. And it was a blast! (will have to get photos and insert later) You might find other creative ideas at the Radio Shack Make it Glow Contest. A big shout out to Instructables.com, a great place to get ideas and learn ‘how to.’ 
