Supervisor's Survival Kit: Your First Step into Management, Ninth Edition

OBJECTIVITY REQUIRED

Even if you accept these fundamentals and practice them, solving employee problems will not be easy. Many, however, are less difficult than they appear. One reason is that an employee may become a problem in your eyes but not in the opinion of others. The employee is irritating you but not co-workers or other management personnel.

Roger had a solid reputation as a superior manager, but he became irritated with Tony, a management trainee, the first day Tony was assigned to his department. Roger thought Tony was too aggressive. He immediately disciplined Tony in unfair, unprofessional ways—not his usual attitude. Then, by chance, he overheard two of his regular employees defending Tony. Roger took stock of himself, admitted ...