“I am not sure where the problem is,” Gerald said. “He has been with the company for eight years, so he knows the ropes, how things are done, what the culture is. But ever since we promoted him four months ago, he has been different.”
“In what way,” I replied.
“Well, he seems dedicated enough, shows up early, stays late, though, during the day, I can’t seem to find him.”
“What about his performance. How effective do you think he is, based on what you expect from his position?”
“That’s the thing,” Gerald sighed. “I don’t think he is effective, but you can’t ever pin him down to find out what the problem is. His department never delivers on time, and when they finally do, it’s incomplete. They always have to scramble to finish the job.”
“What problems does that create?”
“Morale, for one. His team’s enthusiasm is pretty low. They complain about having to do the same job twice, or get halfway through something and have to stop, tear it down and start over on another ‘more important’ project.”
“And?”
“And, it’s having an impact on customers. Some of the phone calls are getting all the way up to me. When they get to me, something is wrong.”
“So, what do you think is happening?” -TF
This is an all too common issues I have seen. I am a very open and above the board manager. When I encounter someone, especially a manager who slips through the smoke and mirrors he or she has created it is a difficult situation for me to manage. They give the right answers and show the right attitude, but cannot produce when necessary. Added to that frustration is the time it takes to find and manage a manager. This takes away from time that is needed to grow other young managers and associates as well. Any input would be great!
Gerald is in the same boat. What he fails to understand, at this point, is that he (Gerald) is responsible for the appointment. The blame game runs rampant until we, as managers, face the reality that it is we who are responsible.
Thanks Tom. Valuable input and also at a right time for me.