How to deal with these two situations? Staff problems.

[macfanuk]

I run a small business with an average turnover of £600k. The business employs a mix of 2 family members (separated in laws), a close friend and 2 people we employed through usual recruitment means.

As we are actively trying to grow the business, one of my in laws has been promoted to manager and I'm concentrating on growing parts of the business, and there are 3 people working under them.

The member of staff that is a close friend is constantly trying my patience with not working to their full potential (or even half potential if I'm being honest). They have worked here for about 5 years now and since they were furloughed for 5 months, they've just not got back into the swing of things and I feel like it's starting to affect the other staff members as their are days when collectively they don't do enough work to even cover their wages.

Their manager and I have spoken to this person to see if there's an issue we should be aware of but get told there's nothing wrong and they're just 'tired'.

The other issue is I don't feel like my in law is doing a particularly good job of managing the staff under them, as they don't want to tell people off for slacking as they're scared they'll walk out or argue back (we've already had 4 people leave because of them being challenged).

So, two issues I could do with help with:
1. How do I deal with my friend without hurting their feelings? My main concern is helping them if there's something wrong but with my business head on, I cannot afford to keep paying people to not do the job they're being paid for.

2. How can I better equip our manager to deal with issues like this? I've considered 'management' training, but I don't want it to come across that I think they're rubbish at their job because in all other aspects of the job they're fab.

 

[MBE2017]

Give all your employees performance reviews, bring up any issues, issue a target for improvement, to start with. Nothing wrong in letting your manager know you feel they require some training, that is the number one problem in the UK from my experience, people promoted to positions with no training to see them fail.

Down to the individuals as to how they react, tough times heading everyone’s way, now is the time to act. You also have to stop thinking of this employee as a friend during working hours, you are the owner.

 

[The Byre]

There is an obvious lack of clear structure in the way you are going about trying to solve your staff problems. In other words, you must first do a sit-rep (situation report) a report on how things are at the moment. Follow that with a should-rep, a report on how things should be.

Sit down with the manager and discuss how you are to move from sit to should. Set clear steps and reporting points, i.e. points at which clear and defined progress is to be documented. Making that progress and writing those reports should be the sole responsibility of the manager. He/she/it reports to you.

Document the discussion with the manager and give him/her/them/it a copy.

When the whole thing is complete, perform a new sit-rep to see if the desired targets have been met.

Two books on staff management that you should read (don't worry, they are short and easy to read, non of that drawn-out guff full of jargon one usually gets in business school!) are 'The One Minute Manager' and 'The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey'. Both are by Kenneth Blanchard and others.

What you have here is a series of monkeys, but they should not be your monkeys! They are your manager's monkeys!

BUT - your manager's lack of performance is your monkey, but by giving your manager a series of steps to take and reports to write, you are imposing clear areas of responsibility and rules and guidelines that everybody should follow - and that will get that monkey off your back!

 

[Newchodge]

I would suggest that your first step (even before @The Byre sensible suggestion) is to stop thinking of them as friend and as in laws. They are staff or manager and need to be treated as such. Even maintaining the relationships in your head will affect your ability to deal with the issue.

The 4 who left after being challenged:

1. Did they need to be challenged?
2. Was the challenge done in an appropriate way?
3. Has the business gained or suffered from their loss.

If the answer to 1 and 2 is yes, there is a good chance that 3 = gain and this should be pointed out to the manager.
If the answer to 1 or 2 is no then you need to do some training to resolve it.

 

[Bob Morgan]

A tip for the future . . . NEVER WORK WITH RELATIVES! - Especially in-laws!

 

[The Byre]

A tip for the future . . . NEVER WORK WITH RELATIVES! - Especially in-laws!

THIS and with knobs on!

As John D. Rockefeller said, "A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship."

 

[Ozzy]

Good advice already so nothing new to add except...

How can I better equip our manager to deal with issues like this? I've considered 'management' training, but I don't want it to come across that I think they're rubbish at their job

I have never had a member of my management team upset, offended or annoyed with me for offering to provide them with professional leadership/management training and development. In fact the opposite, they've been grateful for the investment in them.

 

[MBE2017]

Good advice already so nothing new to add except...

I have never had a member of my management team upset, offended or annoyed with me for offering to provide them with professional leadership/management training and development. In fact the opposite, they've been grateful for the investment in them.

Well obviously they are going to say that lol.

 

[Ozzy]

Well obviously they are going to say that lol.

That's my point, as the OP was concerned they would offend their manager by offering management training and development.

 

[MBE2017]

That's my point, as the OP was concerned they would offend their manager by offering management training and development.

OK, I give up, laughing too much atm.

 

[Ozzy]

OK, I give up, laughing too much atm.

Ok, it's hot weather. I'm using that as an excuse and sticking to it.

 

[MBE2017]

Drunk more like.

I will let you off, again.

 

[macfanuk]

Thanks for all the comments. I'll try to answer them one by one:

1. @MBE2017 Thanks for your thoughts... We have already carried out 'appraisals' and the issues that exist currently were brought up in the appraisal but have not improved.

2. I take your point on offering the manager training. I will float the idea at them and see if it's something we can agree on.

3. @The Byre thanks for your insight, I appreciate it. I agree that there is not a clear structure and this is something we are battling with. We started as a husband and wife business, grew to need help from family that was voluntary at the time, and we're extremely grateful for that. As the business grew, it made sense to employ the family members that had helped us to grow the business.

We are only a small business (7 employees including my wife and myself), but have admittedly struggled with changing mindset among the staff from 'family run business' to 'proper' business (I hope that makes sense).

The reason I am getting involved in the issues with the staff is because my in law is so afraid of them leaving (and causing issues for us as a result) that it's becoming difficult for them to tackle the situation. I can appreciate this, but ultimately it needs dealing with because it's beginning to make me feel unwell and I'm sure our manager is getting just as stressed with it.

4. @Newchodge in my opinion, yes, the 4 that left were correctly challenged. We had issues ranging from simply not following orders, to sat on their phones with their feet on the desks...complete disrespect really. I don't feel that the business has suffered from their loss - at least, we've made the decision to not replace them at present.

5. @Bob Morgan Noted ?

Anyway, moving forward, the manager, my wife and myself have taken the decision to issue the employee with a verbal warning so we have asked him to attend a meeting tomorrow. We have three clear and concise things we need the employee to improve on and will give him all the help he needs to improve.

This is something I feel extremely uneasy with (due to the 'friend' issue) but I just can't see a way forward if things stay the way they are.

 

[The Byre]

The reason I am getting involved in the issues with the staff is because my in law is so afraid of them leaving (and causing issues for us as a result) that it's becoming difficult for them to tackle the situation. I can appreciate this, but ultimately it needs dealing with because it's beginning to make me feel unwell and I'm sure our manager is getting just as stressed with it.

1. If they are not doing their job, their leaving is hardly a problem! I like to pay people for doing their jobs and I hate paying people who are not doing their jobs.

2. We are sleep-walking into a depression and the UK is in a particularly bad economic position, so they might like to reconsider being lazy and try doing their jobs in order to keep those jobs! Pretty soon, probably next year, jobs are going to be hard to get and hard to keep!

3. Monkeys are stressful. Get that monkey off your back and the stress goes away! Instructions on how to de-monkey yourself are to be found in those short and cheap books I recommended. Make sure your manager reads them as well!

 

[MBE2017]

OP, try not too worry. Be firm but fair, you won’t go far wrong.

 

[nicebloke]

I think the problem might be that you have never stated your expectations from your staff. This forms part of your company culture.

Write them down in a few clear bullet points. Make sure they are reasonable and then get every person to sign their name under them.

After that it becomes a lot easier because everyone knows what is expected of them. The only thing you MUST do then is pick very small battles IMMEDIATELY when those expectations aren’t met.

If you can’t do that (or you delay it) then look at yourself and go on whatever training or read whatever book until you get to the point where you can.

 

[MBE2017]

Thanks for all the comments. I'll try to answer them one by one:
2. I take your point on offering the manager training. I will float the idea at them and see if it's something we can agree on.

Re the above, you need to look at yourself in this scenario as well.

Rather than trying to agree with each other, try managing him instead. I would simply explain many of the problems have been occurring due to yourself not training him in the role correctly, and as such you are going to correct those small problems in an otherwise good performance etc.

If he resists, then he doesn’t want to improve. By taking the fault on yourself, you give him some face saving escape route from too much criticism etc. If you truly feel he needs more training what is there to discuss?

I would suggest you yourself consider finding a way of being mentored or trained as well, few people are born a manager, most are terrible, so nothing wrong in improving yourself as well as you face new challenges as you try to scale.