Managing Through a Personal Crisis (Part 2 of 2)
June 24th, 2007This week, we conclude our discussion on managing through a personal crisis. Last week, we discussed the preparation; this week, we discuss ACTIONS.
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June 27th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Wow… I really liked this podcast. The matrix to help define your situation is really simple but smart. You can use it in so many day-to-day situations, even helping your directs self manage some of their personal or team issues without getting dragged into it.
I have one question about the privacy issue. When you are asking the employee for permission to talk to the team, do you have to get that in writing or email? I am wondering if there might be legal ramifications with this?
Thanks.
*RNTT
June 29th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Thanks for passing around these tools. I really want to call out one of the items you’ve touched on, which was to keep up the meetings and routines. When someone’s life is turned upside down, any degree of normalcy and structure is welcome. The affected people will thank you for it.
Also, reassuring the affected person that the work is being covered and sharing the plan with them has helped take the pressure off the person in crisis (as you outline in your podcast). Saying work will be “fine” isn’t enough, you need to share the plan because without that info, the person in crisis will worry.
I had two brothers on my staff and one of them passed away. During this time, the one fellow worried about how his absence was affecting the team - during his time of crisis, he was worried about other people having to work overtime to cover for him (!). When I was able to tell him how all the work was getting done, it was a relief to him.
Mike - regular listener (San Francisco meet-up attendee)
July 1st, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Mike-
GREAT NOTE! Over and over again, we see the same behaviors repeated around crises, and they are so easily overcome. Sounds like you did a great job - kudos.
It’s our privilege to serve you.
Mark
July 1st, 2007 at 8:43 pm
RNTT-
No need for anything in writing at all.
Mark
July 5th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Really excellent podcasts! Have a bit of an twist to the this, and I’m not sure how to handle it. Have a staff member that is dealing with injury–back issues. She’s out of leave days for the year and feels a pressure to work. Not just for the monetary reasons-though that is big for her– but also feels she’s not making her contribution to the team. The trouble? She’ll make plans to work for the week but the last several weeks she’s unable to continue after a day or so. This puts the team in a real bind trying to cover for her on relatively short notice. If we know she’s going to be gone for the week, say, we can adjust, make plans and handle a normal load in her abscence. But if we plan on her being in place, then she decides she can’t finish her day then the week on Monday-Tuesday, then we’re forced to do a lot of last minute scrambling. The team is becoming really worn out on this. Not the abscence specifically but the need to pull it together last minute. How do I handle this? How can I remain compassionate to this employee but fair to my team.They’ve all gone above and beyond in giving extra effort to keep things rolling but I need to let her know she’ll killing us by trying to work but then can’t.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:32 am
Please tell me you’ve given her repeated feedback?
Mark
July 6th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Yes–My staff is only 12 so I’ve obviously been in constant communication with her–providing support and keeping her updated on what I and the office are thinking, doing, planning etc. And she obviously has been in close contact with rest of the team. That is one of the advantages of a very small company. It’s also a disadvantage. I spoke with her yesterday. Apparantly, the monetary issue, ie any missed time now is unpaid excused abscence–is playing a very large role. And I understand that. She’s the major wage earner between her and her spouse (and three children). No one is doubting her effort in trying to work. I’m still struggling with balancing compassion for her with good business sense for me and my staff yet not alienating this employee for the future.
July 6th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Okay… let’s take this to the forums.
Mark
July 6th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
This situation appears somewhat familiar. I have had direct reports that have had short-term disability or FMLA issues where they have exhaused their benefit and the impact is being felt within the team.
What I have done is work with HR on the directs behalf to ensure all the available benefits have been made available. I have allowed employees to use unearned vacation days in advance of accruing them. I have also suggested a leave of absence, while unpaid, does allow the person to return to the company once the issues have been resolved. I don’t know if the size of your company would preclude such a act.
While I have tried to balance the needs of the employee and the needs of the company, there have been times where I have had to ‘draw a line in the sand’ that has forced the employee to get their issues under control. I have had employees take advantage of short-term disability rules and not use the time off to actually get ‘better’, but as a way of getting paid while not coming into work. On occassion I have had to remind the employee that the use of STD is to work with their doctor to get the employee back to a state where they can perform their role.
I have also had my hand slapped for having the employee come back to work who couldn’t perform the position I hired them for. I gave them other duties as they were making a valiant effort to be at work. HR came down on me about setting a precedent and that I would have to offer similiar work modifications to others if they asked for it. Within a small company this may not be an issue.
Another option, albeit financially impacting, is to change the status of the employee to part-time. This allows them to still be employed on a schedule that allows them to be at work given their situation and not receive absences (if they are tallied, etc.). Changing to part-time can and most likely will have an impact on the employee’s benefits especially if reducing to less than 32 hours per week and may not be a good option.
I’m interested to read other’s comments.
Jim Clark
August 1st, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Mark/Mike,
Excellent podcasts, once again.
I’m wondering if you’re thinking about a sequel, on how to manage when someone in your report-to chain (particularly your own manager) is having a personal crisis.
My brother-in-law had a manager who battled alcoholism and finally had to go to rehab. That was actually a relief, because prior to that when the manager was actually at work, he was totally ineffective - but unwilling to let his own superior handle issues. My brother-in-law didn’t always have authority to do what his own reports needed, and found himself tempted to send more information downstream than was appropriate. Fortunately, he didn’t succumb, and post-rehab, things got better, but it was tough for a long time.
My own boss just lost his father. I’m working through how to express sympathy in a way that makes it clear that I’m not using this as an opoortunity to curry favor. I’m also wondering if his suddenly more hostile behavior toward all of us isn’t a form of grieving; it’s challenging to not be psychoanalyzing his every move right now.
It’s really difficult to be effective when you need something from someone above you, but you know something about their personal life, and yet you want to stay focused on the work, but not too focused, and you’re not too sure if you should go around them, or wait for them, or …
Thanks again for always providing insights that are so incredibly useful.