Month: November 2014 Page 3 of 5

Motivating your employees to succeed is much easier than you think. The problem with many managers today is that they spend most of their time micromanaging. I’m sure you know of the manager who is more interested in what you do wrong, and shows little concerns for your wins.

The key to becoming an excellent boss is developing your ability to recognize good work by your employees. Please note that I said good work, and not off-the-charts accomplishments. When someone performs at an extraordinary level, everyone will know, and recognition will come. However, the daily, non-stop effort done by your employees cannot be ignored.

Look for Opportunities to Praise

Employees have key tasks to do everyday. For example, the IT phone support specialist quickly resolves a password issue, and the insurance salesperson provides a prospect with updated information regarding a policy. While these activities appear mundane and routine, they are critical to the success of the organization.

A successful manager is looking for opportunities to pat an employee on the back. Most employees will tell you that receiving recognition for good work is important to them, and often motivates them to improve.

The praise should be provided both privately and in public. Both strategies are effective. Regardless of how you praise employees, it’s important to do it quickly. The compliment has a bigger impact when the activity is fresh on the minds of everyone.

Praise Must be Specific

Compliments resonate when the manager is specific. In other words, you want to have a clear idea what the employee did well, and address it directly. General praise carries little weight, and is often counterproductive.

Here are examples of specific praise:

• “Sophia, your work on the Q1 budget reports was terrific! I received an email from the CFO complimenting Finance for submitting the information in a timely fashion. I know you spent many hours, including last weekend, getting it done. We are excited to have you on our team!”
• “Sal, the presentation to Toyota was awesome! I was more impressed with your ability to field the Six Sigma questions. I could tell they were looking at you as the subject matter expert, and we must have you on the team when we visit their higher-ups at the Tsutsumi plant in Japan. Let’s get together later this week to discuss our moving forward plan.”
• “Hi, Everyone. I would like to thank you for attending this very early morning meeting. I wanted to start by sharing some good news. As you know, our numbers are in from last month, and we beat expectations. Well, we did more than beat expectations! We are in a different stratosphere! I think all of you know that our team worked together to realize these unbelievable results. We focused on the customer, making sure they had the right HR solution for their organization. Our sales team was terrific! Our IT team made the onboarding process easy! Our leadership team provided the guidance and vision and, of course, the funding. Our success is attributable to everyone on this team. I’m excited to be part of this over-achieving team!”

The bottom line for any organization improves when you are committed to praising good work. Look for every opportunity to compliment your employees, and make sure the praise is genuine and specific.

Can’t we just get along? Does it matter that we like our co-workers? What if we ignore the difficult people, and just focus one doing our own jobs? In other words, is taking the high road the best game plan to survive in your current position?

These are all tough questions, and the best answers can vary depending on your situation. However, there are effective approaches to managing difficult people. In some cases, you can ignore the difficult people and do your work. However, you might be required to take action and confront the problem. Your success will largely depend on the approach you take and not so much on what you say or do.

#1: Focus on what the person does well.

I’ve found that many difficult people are generally smart, hard-working, and committed employees. These individuals are even harder to work with when they have many years of experience under their belts. That is, they are not only talented, but they also have successful track records.

Good advice here is not to try and change someone to think and act like you. You shouldn’t take the approach that your line of thinking is right. You are not going to change someone’s beliefs in a matter of months. It is best to praise the person for the work he does, and provide feedback in a non-confrontational manner, such as: “Steve, your work on the Kalamazoo data warehouse project was terrific. Do you mind working on the lessons learned this week? I received an email from the project management office asking for that information immediately.” Keep it simple, and focus on the requirements.

#2: Make sure that respect is not violated.

Disagreement and conflict are part of everyday business. However, you must never allow someone to disrespect another employee. Similarly, you cannot allow an agitated co-worker to insult you, either privately or publicly. You must stand up for yourself.

Andrea was a day late with her portion of the project because a key stakeholder was tardy responding to her requests. Patricia, her project manager, shouted: “You’re late! C’mon! This is ridiculous! In fact, you’re ridiculous, too!” Andrea cannot sit idly and take this abuse. She must defend herself, but she must do it in a calm manner. If Patricia continues her unprofessional tactics, the issue must be escalated to either Andrea’s line manager or to HR.

#3: Take a no-nonsense approach.

A no-nonsense approach is one in which you are programmed on the deliverables that must get done, and you are unconcerned with the noise emanating from the difficult person. This individual might be complaining about the assigned work, expectations, and management team. You, on the other hand, have an assignment to complete, and you’re going to make sure it gets done.

Avoid falling in the trap and believing the difficult person is justified in complaining about the work. You are aware this person will find something wrong regardless of the situation. When you hear the complaints, steer the discussion back to the deliverables. You don’t have time to solve non-work-related issues.

Getting along with difficult people is important to your success. In most cases, they merely want to feel important, and you can praise them for doing good work. However, you should never allow someone to ridicule or embarrass you. By standing up for yourself, you will find that even the difficult co-workers will soon respect you, and will quickly switch their attention to work that is assigned to them.

Working for a micromanager can be difficult for many people, especially those with a creative and innovative spirit. Micromanagement is disliked by many because it’s analogous to rigor and bureaucracy. While a centralized approach has advantages, there are also notable drawbacks.

The micromanager can be spotted from miles away. This person is usually consumed with busy work, and oftentimes with nonproductive activities. In essence, the micromanager is the “king of checklists.” He might get little done during the day, but each box on his list will have a checkmark on it.

Rita has worked at Dakota Manufacturing for the past 10 years. After earning her MBA, she was promoted to Senior Quality Engineer, a position requiring many meetings with specialists from across the organization. Several months ago, Dakota hired Daniel to oversee the Quality Control department, which means that Rita falls under his supervision.

Daniel was hired after an intensive external search. Interestingly, he was given the opportunity with Dakota Manufacturing while unemployed. His previous company, Bama Construction, underwent big layoffs, and Daniel was caught in this wave.

A progress report meeting between Rita and Daniel …

Daniel: Rita, thank you for seeing me today.

Rita: Sure, Daniel. What’s first on the agenda?

Daniel: Rita, you know me already. I love agendas!

Rita: Yes. I’ve learned that about you. [chuckle]

Daniel: Were you able to meet with everyone in your department? Do you have weekly meetings with them?

Rita: I met with 12 of the 15 team members last week to get an update on their work. However, we’re so busy with the quality control efforts regarding the new freight elevator gates. The design is innovative, using cutting-edge technology. So, I was unable to meet with Christie, Mark, and Martin. I did, however, receive a status update report from each via email, and all work is on schedule.

Daniel: Okay, Rita. You know how important it is for you to have the weekly meetings with each team member. This is something I promised to our upper management team.

Rita: Daniel, I’m not so sure we need to physically meet with every person on the team. In some cases, our work is too busy, and many of us are on the shop floor taking care of pressing problems.

Daniel: There are no two ways about it, Rita. I have to know that you meet with each person, even if you chat about routine work.

Rita: Most of the work around here is project-related, and we have a team meeting every Thursday at 2 p.m. In some cases, those meetings go several hours, and I have the chance to get feedback from everyone. In essence, I know what every person on the team is doing.

Daniel: Right, Rita. The issue here is that I promised our management team that you would meet individually with everyone on your team. This is something that I expect of every manager in my department.

Rita: Okay. I will do the best I can.

Daniel: Thank you, Rita. Our meeting is done. I can now update my meeting checklist. Another big accomplishment for the week!

Rita: Right. Way to go.

The issue here is that Daniel is concerned about busy work, which fails to benefit the bottom line. The top management team can be fooled by micromanagers because they give the appearance that work is getting done. Of course, the downside is significant, especially because creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are sacrificed.

Not a day passes that you don’t experience a rude situation with someone. You might encounter the crazy driver who cuts you off, the cashier who looks at you funny because you have several more items than the 10 allowed in the fast lane, or a co-worker who embarrasses you in a meeting because your report is missing pertinent information.

Of course, you can also be rude. You sometimes ignore others when they ask a question, or complain to the waiter because your chicken fried steak is late in arriving. The pressure of the day takes its toll, and you find it easy to take it out on others. In fact, being rude is so common that you are often surprised when someone is nice to you.

I know a little about rude behavior. You see, for more than 20 years I officiated Div. I men’s collegiate basketball games. The coaches are looking for an edge, and they often try intimidation tactics that hardly work. The fans, who are sometimes intoxicated, scream ridiculous stuff at the referees. Interestingly, I think fans are accustomed to acting rudely, and they often use the same approach in their everyday life.

#1: Keep a polite attitude.

The best thing you can do when someone loses his cool is to remain calm. I understand that it’s tough to do because you want to tell him a thing or two. Recently, an intoxicated passenger became upset when my backpack was directly in front of his First Class seat. There was no overhead space in the immediate area, and I was waiting for passengers to find their seats, allowing me walking room to find space for my bags.

He said, “Come on, man. Move that bag!”

In most cases, I would tell this passenger to go “Fly a kite!” In fact, I would probably raise my voice and tell him to go to H*#L! But, for some reason, I was able to keep my cool this time, and I responded: “Sorry, I’m trying to find a place for my bags.”

The drunk mumbled a few incoherent words, sat down, and ordered a cocktail. I grabbed my backpack, found a place for it, and retreated to my seat. The polite approach calmed the situation, and the rest of the flight was uneventful.

#2: Agree with the rant.

Here are a few Dale Carnegie tactics to managing an irate individual:

• “I’m so sorry. Did I offend you?”
• “Please ignore me if I was inconsiderate. That was not my intention.”
• “I apologize for overlooking that information. It won’t happen again.”
• “I didn’t see you in line. Let me find my place.”

In some cases, you are wrong, and in some you’re not. Really, though, it’s not worth making a big deal out of it. Appease the person and get back to living.

#3: Try to understand the rude person.

People are under tremendous stress today. That doesn’t give them the right to be rude to you, but you have to be bigger than the situation. I remember the woman who walked into the dry cleaners where I was dropping off my clothes, and said:

“Who left their car on outside?”

“That’s my car, ma’am,” I responded.

“Well, you know that if that car is stolen,you can be cited for contributory negligence.”

“No, ma’am.” I was unaware of that law.

She was trying to feel important. My guess is that she recently heard it on TV, or possibly read it in the newspaper. Regardless, this was her time to shine, and I could tell the five customers in the store were amused with her newfound “legal knowledge.”

Managing rude people requires that you avoid trying to prove them wrong. Instead, you need to remain calm, and look for ways to resolve differences in a non-confrontational manner. You will feel much better by walking away and knowing you were bigger than the situation.

The pressures of work can take a toll. Some people are unable to handle the pressing deadlines or the increased workload, and soon they channel their frustration and anger to co-workers. Of course, there are some individuals who don’t require an excuse to be rude, but the pressures of day-to-day activities often trigger unprofessional and inconsiderate behavior.

No one has a right to insult you, and you should never put up with it. How you handle the situation is important. In some cases, you can ignore a rude comment, but most cases require that you confront the problem. You are more likely to respond inappropriately when caught off-guard, but there are strategies to handling an acute episode. Good advice is to avoid reacting too quickly to the event. Even taking 10 seconds to consider the intent of the comment will allow you to formulate an effective response.

Let’s discuss three strategies to managing rude co-workers:

#1: Consider the source.

You’re sitting in a product development meeting, and your boss says the following to you: “Christina, the reason you’re having difficulties managing the team is because you’re a poor planner. Didn’t we send you to leadership training? You should be prepared by now?” Obviously, this comment coming from your boss is hurtful, especially when said in front of colleagues.

Given that your boss is the source of this comment, you have to make sure that your response is professional. Try this one: “Jack, the team is having a few problems, and I take full responsibility for their performance. We are making good strides, and I expect all deliverables will be met. Regarding my performance … I will schedule time on your calendar to discuss.” Christina assumed responsibility for any shortcomings, but she also emphasized that the work will get done. She is right to suggest a private meeting to discuss performance issues. In addition, she will make it clear to Jack that she will not tolerate being embarrassed in front of the team.

#2: Be prepared for the unexpected.

There are some people in your organization who constantly make off-the-wall comments. In some cases, these comments are unprofessional and unrelated to your work. For example, “Larry, you’re erratic in your decision-making. I’m sure that’s why you’re having marital problems.” Personal matters are just that – personal.

Here’s a good response to this comment: “Felicia, I’m not sure why you made this comment, and I don’t appreciate it. Please note that all future discussions between us must be business-related.” If Felicia fails to honor your request, you have the option contact your line manager or go directly to HR.

#3: Avoid falling in the trap.

Regardless of the rude comment, make sure that you think it through before responding. Leave the great one-liners to Hollywood. When someone makes a comment that you consider unprofessional, consider the source and the intent. You must process the information before reacting.

It’s often more effective to show confusion and bewilderment regarding the rude comment than reacting with anger. You can ask the following questions: “Do you really mean what you said?” “Why do you think that of me?” “What specifically did I do or say to make you feel that way.” Of course, you should also make it clear that you will not tolerate rude comments, particularly those made in a public setting.

Rude people are here to stay, and you must be prepared to manage unprofessional situations. You can’t go wrong if you stick to the facts and avoidfalling into a trap in which you respond with a negative comment. This approach is counterproductive. A leader understands that it’s much better to identify the root cause of the problem, and do whatever possible to prevent it from occurring in the future.

If you think about it, most managers today are talented. They are hard working and committed to helping you succeed. In fact, I think that most of them actually care more about you than you might believe. They will give employees the benefit of the doubt, even when it’s obvious that they are making up stuff.

However, there are still about 10% of managers who are ridiculous. Some are even flat-out crazy. They talk a big game, and even pretend they know what they are doing. However, their words are hollow, and their actions are elusive. They are good at holding meetings and micromanaging. That’s it!

Here are three sure signs your manager is ridiculous:

#1: He interprets bad results as good.

We are in a political year here in the United States, and we see politicians looking for the good, even though the poll numbers are sinking. They are looking for ways to spin the numbers. In other words, perception is what matters the most.

I remember one manager saying the following: Look, things ain’t good, and we all know that. I looked at the monthly figures this morning, and we are ahead of Tulsa, Kansas City, and Cedar Rapids. I guess 11th place is fine as long as we beat Tulsa. Their regional manager is a dumbass, and I don’t need them to finish ahead of us.

This manager was only concerned about coming ahead of one other market, and was ridiculous because he failed to recognize the problem. Instead of worrying about Tulsa, he needed to focus on his own business.

#2: The use food as a motivator.

I used to work for a manager who approved luncheons for the entire staff several times per week. At first, the food was a good idea because we were able to interact, share ideas, and build camaraderie. However, after more than 20 get-togethers, what else is there to discuss? What else can be shared that we don’t already know about each other?

It was interesting that many of us had gone without a raise for a year or more because the “budget was tight.” Yet, we had funds for the luncheons. Interestingly, the luncheons eventually stopped after nearly 70% of the staff started to opt-out.

#3: He is scared.

I remember one situation in which the head honchoes from corporate were visiting our division in San Antonio. The manager called a meeting with a group of staff members, and said the following: “Whatever you do … make sure to make us look good. I’m going to give you guys a chance to present when the Top Guns are here. I will sit in the back and offer encouragement.”

Instead of offering encouragement, it’s best to let the numbers speak for themselves. This manager was basically hoping that a few presentations would mask our poor performance. The “Top Guns” identified the problem, lambasted the manager for failing to meet performance goals, and recommended sweeping changes. In less than a month, this manager had his pink slip.

As I noted earlier, most managers are top performers. They work hard to meet key performance indicators (KPIs), and will commit the training and development needed for the staff. However, the 10% that have a big hat and no cattle are time-wasters. As soon as they are identified, they should be given the opportunity to start anew somewhere else.

Your role as manager is difficult. You have many meetings to attend, countless reports to complete, and far too many fires to put out. You hit the ground running on Monday, and hope to build momentum by Tuesday. Of course, Murphy’s Law has a way of intervening, and before you know it, you’re in a reactive mode. It never ends.

As a business owner, I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much over the past couple of decades. Of course, this means that I’ve made so many mistakes. Most of my problems arose because I didn’t ask the right questions, or was even unaware of the questions to pose my employees. If you fail to raise an issue, it’s likely that no one will bring it to your attention.

In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins discusses the importance of asking the brutal questions. It’s obvious that no one wants to hear bad news, but asking the tough questions is not necessarily negative. As a leader in your organization, you are focused on identifying issues before they arise. When you ask the tough questions, these potential problems are unearthed before they have an adverse impact on your goals and objectives.

Here are three tough questions you should ask your employees:

#1: Why were you unable to complete the work by the deadline?

You must ask this question before you ask this one: How can I help you meet the deadline? By asking why first, you focus on the root cause of the problem, and not the symptoms. The employee might have too much on his plate, and you need to divide the work. In some cases, the individual fails to have the necessary skills to do the assignment. In that case, training might be the best option, or perhaps you can assign a mentor.

#2: Adriana, why are you criticizing Jacqueline’s efforts?

In many organizations today, there is a tendency to find fault in what others are doing. As a manager, you must quickly squelch this practice. Instead of finding wrong in what your teammates are doing, the energy should be spent on helping them succeed. The manager must identify the conflict, and put a stop to it. If you allow the issue to fester, it can spiral out of control, leading to significant corporate culture problems.

#3: Why do you like working here?

This is an important question, and you can learn a ton from an employee by listening to his response.

Here are red flag responses to this question:

• “It’s a good job. I can now do it in my sleep.”
• “It pays the bills, and even the benefits are good.”
• “At least it’s close to my house.”

The problem with the statements above is that the employee is focused on the benefits external to the work. Once he finds something better somewhere else, he is out the door. To keep the employees motivated, the work must be meaningful.

Skirting an issue is a recipe for failure. You must ask the tough questions, and listen carefully to the responses. Make sure to keep asking follow-up questions until you are clear regarding the root cause. In some cases, you will need to contact other employees to get their feedback. Don’t stop until you have enough information to get matters back on track.

One of the most difficult aspects of managing is working with employees who have an arsenal of excuses for why the work is failing to get done. Most people are used to hearing, and perhaps using, the normal excuses for failing to do the work assigned.

While one excuse here and there is acceptable, a few are not. Part of becoming a reputable employee is doing the work assigned even when obstacles intervene. The fact that someone fails to provide him with information to complete his report is not a legitimate excuse. He needs to get that information, even if it means asking his manager to intervene.

Andrea, Director of Marketing for Dyno Systems, is working with her team to prepare a market research report pertaining to the viability of expanding operations to Shanghai, China. The company is well known in North America for an inventory management solution that integrates point-of-sale transactions to available product warehouses in distribution centers (DCs). Dyno Systems currently targets major supermarket chains.

Andrea has tasked Melinda with an important data collection exercise, which must be completed before the analysis is performed.

Andrea: Good morning, Melinda. I hope your Wednesday is coming along well.

Melinda: Not so good, Andrea.

Andrea: What’s the issue?

Melinda: It has been difficult getting any information regarding the supermarket industry in China.

Andrea: What is your approach? Who have you contacted?

Melinda: I emailed Michael at Corporate, and asked if he had any information I could use.

Andrea: What else did you do?

Melinda: I only received the assignment a week ago. I tried Michael several days ago. I’ve been waiting for him to reply.

Andrea: Did you think about calling him?

Melinda: Since he didn’t reply, I figured he was busy. I didn’t want to bother him.

Andrea: Melinda, this is critical work. We cannot move forward without the industry-specific information that’s on your plate.

Melinda: After our meeting, I can do a few web searches to see what I can find. It might be better if I start this afternoon, since it’s so close to lunchtime.

Andrea: Let’s do this: Please schedule a conference call with Michael for today. Before the day is over, let’s get together with Samuel. I mentioned to you during our initial meeting that he did similar work when we launched the India operation.

Melinda: I guess that will work.

Andrea: Please understand the importance of your role. Beginning today, I expect that you will keep the ball moving forward. When you experience any problems, make sure to let me know immediately.

Melinda: Sure. See you later this afternoon.

Andrea: Okay, Andrea. I’m counting on you.

Mediocre employees will often try to blame others for their ineffectiveness. They are generally poor with follow-up. Email is a tool used by low performers because it gives the appearance of real effort. In reality, though, it’s a CYA approach, and they have become skilled at using it.

Andrea immediately changed the dynamics of the discussion. Instead of thanking Melinda for reaching out to Michael, she reinforced the importance of this work, and provided time-specific responsibilities. Andrea recognized that Melinda’s work is critical to the project, and will do whatever possible to confront the issue. Once the project is delivered, Andrea can review team member performance, and take appropriate action.

How is long-term defined? As we know, the generations before ours were known for being loyal to their concerns. Today, most of us find it somewhat humorous to say that we will commit even five years to an organization.

The times have changed,but what is different? Is it because the tide has changed to pro-employee, and we have many more choices today? We are now the Monster.com Generation, with so many new opportunities for employment. At a time when many people are still looking for work matching their skills set, I’m not so sure that the employee is completely in the driver’s seat.

Nonetheless, employees can control more of their future by developing the talents needed today, such as leadership, communication, and technological prowess. By being prepared, they can take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

I recently ran into a friend who described her new job, and was enlightened by her level of enthusiasm.

 

Me: Hi, Jessica! How are you doing?

 

Jessica: I’m doing great! It’s good to see you.

 

Me: Same here. What’s keeping you busy?

 

Jessica: Cross-Tech hired me as a Network Administrator several weeks ago. I applied about eight months ago, and was finally interviewed last month. I had three interviews, and one with a panel of sorts. It was grueling!

 

Me: Great!  I’m glad you were selected. I do remember you have a Computer Information Systems degree, and several years of work experience in the field.

 

Jessica: I do, but the industry is super-competitive. I think the industry certifications helped me a bit. Regardless, it was a tough process. The timing was good, though. I’m ready for a management position, especially since part of my team is in Shanghai, China. This is an exciting position!

 

Me: Oh! So, this is not necessarily a stepping-stone for you? You plan to be at Cross-Tech for several years?

 

Jessica: This is really a cool company. I met the managers and other employees, and they love working there. I want to be there for the long-term.

 

Me: Long-term can mean different things, right? I know some people who think long is like five years.

 

Jessica: Yeah, I guess you’re right. But, I’m thinking like forever! The 401(k) program is terrific, and the company’s value is increasing every year. I’m pretty sure I can commit to the company the rest of my working career. Of course, many things can change, and I’m aware of that.

 

Me: Regardless, it’s great to see that you found a place where you love to work. With this enthusiasm, I’m sure you are going to impress many leaders at Cross-Tech.

 

Jessica: My commitment should make a difference. At least, I hope! It was great seeing you! We need to do lunch soon.

 

Me: For sure! Let’s plan for next week. Is Wednesday ok?

 

Jessica: Perfect! See you then!

 

This conversation with Jessica reminded me that some employees want to make a difference for their employers and are willing to make a long-term commitment. I think Jessica’s situation is unique, but even a 7-to-10 year investment from an employee is impressive.

A win-win situation takes place when company leaders reciprocate by providing a challenging and rewarding work experience for their employees. By making this investment in their workforce, the organization can expect to increase its competitiveness in the marketplace and become an employer of choice.

On a recent business trip, I overhead a manager talking with a recently-hired employee in her department, and here is part of this discussion:

Manager: Abby, you’ve been here one week. Tell me what you’ve learned.

Employee: Oh, Ms. Ramirez, where do I start?

Manager: What do you mean? Tell me more.

Employee: Well, you see, I know I was hired mainly because I have good Spanish-speaking skills. I can make sure our customers are comfortable when they walk in the door. I’ve been here only a week, and I want to speed up the learning process.

Manager: You were hired because you are an asset to our organization. We considered many different applicants before we hired you.

Employee: You’re so nice to say that, and I am delighted to have this opportunity. I liked working for SystemTech, but this position at Medic Professionals looked challenging to me. Also, when I interviewed here, the employees seemed happy, and I knew this was the right time for me to make a change.

Manager: I’m not always available during the day because of meetings and other administrative work. How do you keep yourself occupied?

Employee: Really, Ms. Ramirez, I don’t really try to stay occupied. Let me explain. Staying occupied to me means that I try to look busy even when I have nothing to do. I didn’t accept the position at Medic Professionals to waste time. In fact, I became interested in this position because I wanted to learn more about the health care industry. One friend told me he liked it because it gave him the opportunity to help people. In just one week, I can tell that I can make a difference.

Manager: Abby, please remind me, where did you work before coming here?

Employee: Ms. Ramirez, I worked for Hotel Intercontinental in Jackson. While this position is different from that one, I use the same approach. First, when the patient walks into the office, I make sure to smile. I want that person to feel comfortable, and to have someone who is ready to help him. Our patients have pressing problems, and it helps when we greet them and are prepared to help them.

Manager: How do you handle a patient who is upset?

Employee: Let’s me use an example from when I worked for the hotel. One customer was upset because a smoke alarm was triggered around 1 a.m. The customer was dead asleep, and he wasn’t happy the alarm awoke him. He called downstairs, and I answered the phone. He wanted the problem fixed right away. I informed him that I was the only person on duty, and could not leave the front desk. He didn’t like my response – at all!

Manager: What did you do?

Employee: I told the hotel guest to give me 5 minutes, and I would find a solution. I had the option to move the customer to a new room, but that was not a good option.

Manager: What did you go?

Employee: I decided to go against policy a bit. You know, I’m not supposed to leave the front desk unattended. However, I locked the front door, and even though I knew nothing about smoke alarms, I was going to give it a shot.

Manager: Did you figure it out?

Employee: The guest was surprised when I knocked on his door. Sure enough, the smoke alarm was blaring. I told him I new little about how to stop it from making the loud noise, but I was going to try. With my ladder in tow, I replaced the battery, and within a few minutes the problem was resolved.

Manager: Did you report the incident to your manager?

Employee: I documented the incident in my issue log, but the guest awoke very early, and approached my manager when he arrived at 6 a.m. The guest lost about an hour of sleep, but he was impressed that I bent the rules a bit to resolve the problem. He said, “You need to make sure and keep that employee. I can tell you there aren’t many like her.

When you find an employee who is accountable, you must do whatever possible to keep her on our team. Rules are rules, policies are policies, but you must ensure everyone is prepared to make gray area decisions.