Tag Archives: Deadlines

How Do You Supervise Without Being Bossy? Six Points

Situation: A CEO has received feedback “through the grapevine” that some of his employees consider him to be bossy. This isn’t the image that he wants to cultivate. Instead he aspires to be a collaborative CEO who is approachable by employees. Have others encountered this situation and If so, what have they done? How do you supervise without being bossy?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • When you hold morning update meetings keep them short and to the point.
    • Review updates on an exception basis. Go down the list and ask whether there are any challenges that need to be addressed to assure that deadlines are met. If on track, then no need to discuss, unless an individual anticipates a challenge coming up.
    • Don’t try to solve specific issues during the meeting – this wastes the time of those not involved in the issue. Schedule follow-ups to address challenges or just continue the meeting with a couple of people who have issues and who can assist each other in developing solutions.
  • Do 1-on-1 checks at end of day, as necessary.
  • Manage by walking around. When visiting specific employees ask: How are you doing?
    • If they are struggling, ask about the problem. Listen and perhaps suggest the next step. Take care to watch any body language for signs of discomfort that suggests that the individual is struggling.
  • When planning a project set milestones and timelines for each project.
  • When following up, ask how the individual is doing on their segment of the project and whether they have the resources that they need – including time and knowledge.
  • Have employees build the schedule for the project – assuring that their timeline meets the company’s delivery schedule. Ask for commitment to meet the timeline and hold them accountable for meeting it.

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How Do You Improve Communication with Your Team? Six Thoughts

Situation: A CEO is concerned that communications with her team regarding tasks, goals and operational objectives are insufficiently clear. Members of her team sometimes express confusion with her directions and what has been assigned to them. What have others done to better communicate with their teams? How do you improve communication with your team?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • Write down what you plan to say and how you will say it before meeting with member(s) of the team. Once direction has been given, ask them to restate the directions or instructions. Ask whether these were clear and whether more detail is needed.
  • Assume that it will take team members 3-4 times the time that it may take you to do the same thing. This will improve over time as they approach your level of skill performing specific tasks.
  • Heartily congratulate achievement – be a cheerleader!
  • If the individual brings up other thoughts that are off point to the planned or immediate objective thank them for the input. Respond – let’s note this separately for the time being and come back to it later once when we address the immediate challenge.
  • Set deadlines for accomplishing objectives and ask where there will be conflicts. Negotiate mutually acceptable adjustments if these are necessary.
  • Communicate the bigger picture. Help them to understand how the assigned task or objective will further company objectives and improve or augment operations or functions. Share the larger vision and their role in achieving it.

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How Do You Manage a Difficult Employee? Seven Suggestions

Situation: A CEO and her staff are struggling with a difficult employee. This individual fails to send invoices on a timely basis, doesn’t provide required reports to management, and doesn’t return vendor calls. The CEO has spoken to the employee, who acknowledges the issues but then rapidly defaults to old habits. How do you manage a difficult employee?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • Ask for specific weekly/biweekly AP/AR reports, and be very clear as to everything that this should cover as well as the required deadlines. Make it clear that these deadlines are mandatory and that there will be disciplinary consequences for failure either to meet the deadlines or to create the report as specified. Address issues with timely mailing of invoices and timely return of vendor calls the same way. Make all three standard operating procedure.
  • This is not an at-will employee so assure that there is very good and complete documentation over a period of time to demonstrate that the employee is not meeting required job responsibilities.
  • Tell the employee that he has 90 days to demonstrate that he can consistently meet required responsibilities, and that there will be a retain or termination decision at the end of this period.
  • Update policies that are not being following so that they are clear.
  • Check with a human resources expert for advice on what needs to be done. Regulations are shifting, so this will assure that the company is following regulatory requirements.
  • If the final decision is to retain this employee, adjust responsibilities to mitigate potential future damage.
  • Given the current challenges, why is this employee’s behavior being tolerated? What message is this sending to other employees?

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