Managing Problem Emphasis

Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Managing Problem Emphasis
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

4 Types of Problem Employee
1. Employees who do not have the ability to meet

the job performance standards.
2. Employees who do not have the motivation to

meet job performance standards often need
discipline.

4 Types of Problem Employee
3. Employees who intentionally violates standing

plans. Enforce the rules through disciplinary action.
4. Employees with problems, may have the ability

and motivation, but have a problem that affects job
performance.

2 Categories of Problem Employee
1. Employees causing problems

•For example, by starting fights or leaving early,
2. Employees with problems,

• Such as employee whose money worries are a
distraction from work.

Problem Attributable to the organization

1. Job Analysis
Is the job necessary to the organizational

goal? why?
How does it fit into the total plan of service?

Is it doable?

Have the necessary tools been provided? Is the

job adequately organized?
Are there well-defined areas of responsibility?

2. Selection
Do the applicants have the aptitude and potential to

do the job?
 From what can be determined during the interview,

do the applicants personal goals relate to the
stated organizational goals?

2. Selection
Do the applicants have the aptitude and potential to

do the job?

3. Orientation and Training
Has the employee been provided the information

necessary to do the job?

4. Incentives
Do the rewards of the job meet the needs of the

employee especially the most important need, the
need to feel worthwhile?

5. Appraisal of Performance
Is there an agreement between the manager and

the employee to discuss how well the job is being
performed?

Problem Attributable to the Worker
1. Absenteeism
2. Insubordination and Uncooperativeness
3. Substance Abuse

Problem Attributable to the Worker
4. Poor Performance
5. Job Incompatibility
6. Sloppy Work
7. Disruptive Behavior

Remedies Available to solve a problem Employee

Issue

1. Counselling Employees
If the supervisor responds to problem behavior

immediately, he or she will sometimes be able to
bring the problem to a quick end without complex
proceedings.

1. Counselling Employees
The most constructive way a supervisor can

address problem behavior is through counselling or
learning about an individual's personal problem and
helping him or her resolve it.

2 Types of Counselling
1. Directive Counselling
An approach which the supervisor asks the

employee questions about specific problem

2 Types of Counselling
2. Nondirective Counselling
The supervisor and employee will often find it most

beneficial to help the employee develop and
change, rather than to look only for solutions toa
specific problem.

Counselling Interview
Begins with a discussion of what the problem is
Consideration of possible solutions and election

of one to try.
Ends with supervisor scheduling a follow-up

meeting

Administering Discipline
Punishment is an unpleasant consequence given in

response to undesirable behavior.
Discipline is broader, it is a teaching process.

Before taking any action, the supervisor needs to have

a clear picture of the problems.
 He or she should collect the facts before

proceeding.
 Then the supervisor should meet with the

employee and ask for his or her version of what
happened.

Before taking any action, the supervisor needs to

have a clear picture of the problems.
• When the supervisor observes and
understands the facts behind problem
behavior, disciplining the employee takes place
in four steps.

1. Warning
A warning may be written or oral
The warning should contain what the problem

behavior
Have the employee sign the warning as an

indication that the situation has been discussed
with him or her.
•
1. Warning
If the employee refuses to sign, the supervisor

should make a note of the refusal.

2. Suspension
Involves requiring that the employee not come to

work for a set period of time.

3. Demotion
Transferring an employee to a job involving less

responsibility and, usually, lower pay.

4. Dismissal
This is also called termination, or discharge.
This will cost the organization and that it requires the

organization to recruit hire, and train a new
employee.

Common Types of Worker Problem
1. Social
2. Economic and Technical
3. Legal
4. Organization itself

Effective Supervision
It is fair to say that a mark of effective Supervision is

not that there are never problems, but rather that
problems can be handled without disrupting the entire
organization.

Effective Supervision
As a supervisor gains a reputation for being fair,

open and responsive,
the number of problems should diminish.

Dealing with the Problem
The first step in dealing with a problem is to

determine why it arose in the first place.
It is important to examine the work situation

objectively.

Have all the obstacles to work performance been

removed?
Obstacles are defined as conditions that prevent jo

performance: Inadequate time, instructions, tools or
resources, conflicting orders (too many bosses); or
too much red tape.

A distinction should be made between dissatisfiers

and obstacles.
 Dissatisfiers cloud issues but do not prevent the

performance of a job.
They are obstacles to work gratification, but if

motivated, an employee will still do the job.

A dissatisfier is often a symptom of the problem, not

a reason, and it is important to be aware of the
difference.
A dissatisfier can upset people, but resolution of the

condition does not necessarily result in employee
motivation.

 If obstacles to job performance are discovered, they

should be removed if possible.
 If a situation cannot be changed, admitting that it is

beyond one's control and making the best of it will
still be helpful.

 To continue to pursue a lost cause will frustrate

both the supervisor and the employees and result
in a loss of confidence in the supervisor's ability to
handle problems.
 Achievement-motivated people will continue to

work as best they can.

 To continue to pursue a lost cause will frustrate

both the supervisor and the employees and result
in a loss of confidence in the supervisor's ability to
handle problems.
 Achievement-motivated people will continue to

work as best they can.

Performance should be evaluated with

consideration for the working conditions.
Employee problems related to working are the

easiest to solve.
Once an effective Work structure is set up,

problems can be anticipated by monitoring changes
in external factors affecting the job.

The greatest challenge of supervision is in dealing

with employee motivational problems unrelated to
the working conditions.
Family, peers, religious and educational experiences

are most influential in determining a person's work
attitudes.

What to AVOID in dealing with the problem
1. Sarcasm
2. Loss of temper
3. Humiliating an employee
4. Profanity
5.Public reprimands
6. Threats and bluff

7. Showing favoritism
8. Delay tactics
9. Unduly harsh penalties
10. Inconsistent enforcement

1. Consider feelings of employees
2. Cool down, analyze each situation
3. Show confidence in employee’s ability to make

necessary changes

4. Carefully explain the nature of violation and the

correction expected.
5. Always reprimand in private
6. Outline specific consequences of future violation

and follow through

7. Give every employee fait treatment
8. Give prompt attention to violation
9. Define the objective of the disciplinary
10. Deal promptly with all violations of rules

To uncover the true source of a performance problem, the supervisor might consider the
following issues:
 Whether the employee has performed better in the

past.

 Whether the employee has received proper

training.
 Whether the employee knows and understands the

objectives he or she is to accomplish.

 Whether the supervisor is providing enough

feedback and support.
 Whether the supervisor has encouraged and

rewarded high performance.
 Whether other employees with similar abilities are

performing well or experiencing similar difficulties.

 Whether the supervisor is providing enough

feedback and support.
 Whether the supervisor has encouraged and

rewarded high performance.
 Whether other employees with similar abilities are

performing well or experiencing similar difficulties.

Managing Difficult Employees

1. Problem: Difficult Personalities
A. The Bully -dominates conversations and

manipulates people to get what he wants.

B. The Prima Donna-only looks out for "numero

uno," and does so in dramatic fashion.
C. The Control Freak-constantly noses into your

business and trusts no one.

D. The Know-lt-All- converses with co-workers in a

condescending manner.
E. The Gossip- only talks to others to get

information about office happenings.
F. The Complainer- uses every interaction to whine

about the smallest of changes.

G. The Dirtbag- makes inappropriate and

suggestive comments to co-workers.

Solution : Manage Difficult Personalities
•First, a manager must make sure the employee is

aware of the problems he is causing in the workplace.
It is easy for an employee to be completely blind to
his or her distracting behavior.

• Management should arrange to meet with the

employee to explain how the behavior is affecting his
co-workers and the office environment. Awareness is
the first and most important step in dealing with an
employee who has a difficult personality.

• Secondly, the employee needs to show a

willingness to change his demeanor and personality.
If an employee complains all the time, he must admit
to excessive complaining and make an effort to
complain less in the future.

• The manager will need to provide additional

support in order to motivate the employee to
change. Although this will take more time and focus
special attention on one employee, the other
employees will be more productive after the
distracting behavior has been eliminated.

Finally, managers can enlist trustworthy employees

to provide feedback on the progress of the difficult
employee. If the employee still chooses to engage in
negative behavior and snows no willingness to
change, then management may need to look at more
drastic steps for dealing with him.

Managing challenging employees is made easier

through the assistance of co-workers and employees.

2. Problem: Employees with bad Attitudes
A. Negative emotions toward the organization.
 There are always those employees who are quick

to make negative comments about upper
management or co-workers. These negative
feelings contradict the overall mission of the
organization and may cause other employees to
have negative feelings as well.

B. Insubordinate challenges to authority.
 There are many times when employees refuse to do

what they are asked in order to prove a point or
make a statement. These employees have no
respect for you and will likely lose the trust of their
peers.

C. Lazy, unmotivated.
These employees spend most of their day goofing off and

distracting other employees.
D. Overly Argumentative.
Employees who are looking to pick a fight put co-workers

on edge and create a high level of discomfort in the
workplace.

Solution: Find the Source of the Bad Attitude
 Bad attitudes are a serious problem. Do not take

bad attitudes lightly. They are different from other
problems and must be addressed as Such. An
employee who has a bad attitude causes more
problems than an employee who is trying hard but
simply doesn't have the ability to do his or her job.

Solution: Find the Source of the Bad Attitude
 Understand why the employee has a bad attitude. A

bad attitude can be blamed on an employee's
melancholy personality or negative disposition.

• Set behavior boundaries is and expectations for

the employee. Let the employee know that her job
is in jeopardy if there is not a positive change in
attitude and behavior.

3. Problem: Poor Performance
A. Doesn’t follow directions.
 An employee who doesn’t follow directions well is

always someone who is difficult to manage. He
makes his own rules and can't be trusted to
complete important tasks.

B. Incompetence.
 An incompetent employee makes mistakes, is

disorganized, and has a hard time learning new
concepts. He may be overwhelmed by a new job
assignment or by having to adapt to something
new.

C. Takes too long.
 Timeliness wouldn't be a major problem to manage

if it only involved one employee, but you may have
five other employee who can't do their jobs until the
slow- moving employee does his.

D. Nervous worker.
 A nervous employee has a difficult time dealing with

the stress and pressure of his job. If you manage in
a highly competitive industry, nervous workers who
are concerned about issues such as job security
and meeting sales quotas could drag down
performance.

Solution: Support and Train poor Performers
• Communicate directions clearly. For the employee

who struggles to follow directions, try
communicating those directions in a more detailed
or concrete way.

 Explain the expectations better. An incompetent

employee needs to learn more about what is
expected of him. Take a step back and explain the
expectations of the job and his role in the team and
the organization.

• Provide additional training. if an employee has a

difficult time organizing his work, provide a specific
training day to help him lean how to organize
better.

• Use other team members. If an employee

continues to work at a slow pace, assign a more
experienced team member to work with him.
Providing extra help and support will help speed
up his processes.

4. Problem : Communication
 The employee appears to understand but actually

doesn't This communication error often result in
numerous mistakes in the workplace. The time and
energy spent on unnecessary work costs the
organization money. Miscommunications impact the
bottom line quickly.

• The manager doesn't understand the technical

language of the employee. In this communication
error, the employee may be referring to a technical
term that the manager has never heard before.
The manager may assume that the employee
knows what he is talking about even if she doesn't
understand the message at all.

Solution: Create Quality Dialogue with each Employee
 Make sure your employees feel comfortable enough

to tell you that they "don't know or "don't understand.
 Have the employee repeat back the instructions or

message you just gave her until she says exactly
what you said.

 Try hands-on demonstrations to make sure the

employee knows exactly what to do. If the manager
doesn't understand the technical language of the
employee.
 Spend time learning more about the details of your

employee's job.

 Find an employee who can serve as a translator

to explain the technical jargon so that you know
exactly what your employee is trying to
communicate.
 Ask the employee to draw pictures or diagrams.

Find another way for the employee to express
herself.

How to manage a Difficult Employee
1. Have a one-on-one conversation.
2. Schedule a formal employee review meeting,

even if it's not time for a scheduled review.
3. Meet with the employees involved to discuss

the problem.

3. Meet with the employees involved to discuss

the problem.
4. Consult with other managers and your boss.
5. Put the employee on probation for a specified

amount of time.

6. Assign another, more experienced employee to

work with and mentor the problem employee.
7. Write clearer guidelines for the employee.
8. Make yourself available for additional training with

employee.

9. Provide the employee with outside training.
10. Provide the employee with hands-on

experience while you observe.
11. Ask the employee to submit reports to you

about how he or she is seeking to change.

12. Give the employee a specific time limit for

showing improvement (with defined goals).
13. Terminate the employee as gently as you

can and provide the employee with an
explanation, pay for hours already worked and
severance pays.

14. For a more serious problem, terminate the

employee immediately, explain the cause, and
provide pay for any hours already worked.
15. Report any criminal actions to the appropriate

authorities.

Managing Problem Emphasis

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Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)

Managing Problem Emphasis

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

4 Types of Problem Employee

1. Employees who do not have the ability to meet

2. Employees who do not have the motivation to

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

4 Types of Problem Employee

3. Employees who intentionally violates standing

4. Employees with problems, may have the ability

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

2 Categories of Problem Employee

1. Employees causing problems

2. Employees with problems,

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Problem Attributable to the organization

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Is the job necessary to the organizational

How does it fit into the total plan of service?

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Have the necessary tools been provided? Is the

Are there well-defined areas of responsibility?

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Do the applicants have the aptitude and potential to

 From what can be determined during the interview,

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Do the applicants have the aptitude and potential to

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

3. Orientation and Training

Has the employee been provided the information

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Do the rewards of the job meet the needs of the

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Is there an agreement between the manager and

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Problem Attributable to the Worker

2. Insubordination and Uncooperativeness

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Problem Attributable to the Worker

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Remedies Available to solve a problem Employee

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

If the supervisor responds to problem behavior

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

The most constructive way a supervisor can

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

An approach which the supervisor asks the

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

The supervisor and employee will often find it most

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Begins with a discussion of what the problem is

Consideration of possible solutions and election

Ends with supervisor scheduling a follow-up

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Punishment is an unpleasant consequence given in

Discipline is broader, it is a teaching process.

Public Safety Senior Leadership Course

Before taking any action, the supervisor needs to have