Excuses

One of the hardest parts of a manager’s job is having to deal with staff issues – with their employees. Every one of us as individual employees can present challenges to a manager in how to treat us, talk to us, lead us, set the right example for us, and be our “go to” person when we have questions/concerns – either about the job, other employees or about their perception of how upper management is treating them.

How you handle these challenges can have a direct impact on employee morale. A bad move here can create a problem with a single employee but may soon radiate outwork to the larger group.

However, many managers are not comfortable with these responsibilities, and no manager in my experience has ever thought that being the boss of subordinates is a piece of cake job. They are always looking for help to get this part of their job description successfully managed.

So, when their senior leadership makes their job more difficult by being less than honest with employees, or simply capriciously arbitrary, they as the front-line representatives of management are put in an uncomfortable and often untenable position.

Let’s look at a few examples of where the word coming from Executive Row (30,000 feet) can cause problems for the managers in the trenches.

They Said What? And With No Explanation

·????????Pay increases: Management says that everyone in the organization will be receiving the same x% in pay increases, so our group will too. No mention of circumstances where our staff could or should be treated different from everyone else. Just deal with it!

·????????Rejections: Management says NO! to your recommendations, with no reasoning provided. Just NO! Not much to work with here.

·????????One for all: One part of the business didn’t do so well last year, so everyone (all parts) in the organization must cut back or do more with less. Again, no explanation to offer to your (perhaps) high performing employees.

·????????Performance Appraisals: During a reduced merit budget year management decides to do away with performance appraisals. Let’s treat all performance categories the same. So, Bob the Super Star and Joe Average will be treated the same. That always goes over poorly.

·????????Reorganization: During a review of the organization chart management decides to interview employees to decide whether they should keep their jobs. Everyone must reapply to retain their current position. Try explaining this one to your staff.

·????????Executive pay: Regardless of individual or company performance the executives still must be paid competitively (including incentives and merit increases). Not like you or me.

·????????Treatment of management: When the organization isn’t doing well and cutbacks are the order of the day, somehow management is treated differently. As in, better.

·????????Future treatment: Expectations are that the business “may” face challenges later in the year, so we’re cutting back NOW. Those affected prior to the arbitrary calendar red line will be treated better than those on the other side of the cutoff date. And no, we won’t “fix” this next year.

·????????Credibility challenge: When management tells you to do something that you know makes little sense and cannot be defended to employees. And then management offers you no help (explanations, scripts, visible support, etc.) in talking with your staff. You’re on your own.

What’s a Manager to Do?

How often do these scenarios tend to play out? If you’ve been around the block enough years, you’ll probably face most of these situations at one time or another.

Sure, you can ask your boss for clarifications and explanations, but likely the response you’ll receive will be at best only a clarification (“This is what they said. Do I have to repeat myself?”). What you’re looking for, some form of explanatory or rationalizing assistance in talking to your employees without sounding like an idiot or being out of the loop, will not be forthcoming. Management can be very reluctant to explain themselves, and defensive as well (“Look at the organization chart. I’m up here and you’re down there. Any other questions?”)

Perhaps this is because there is no rationale explanation, but you didn’t hear that from me <g>.

A tactic I’ve used in the past, with mixed results I’ll admit, is to have a heart-to-heart talk with my own manager. There’s no point in railing against the management decisions themselves, so focus on getting the boss to understand the plight you face in trying to explain the unexplainable to your employees. And the likely result (your personal loss of face, of credibility, of trust) that will likely occur and try to gain their help in together dealing with the problems caused by the management action.

Because your success and effectiveness as a manager will be on the line.

But whatever you do, don’t simply shrug your shoulders helplessly in front of your employees. That would send a very negative message (i.e., don’t care, not your fault, you’re just the messenger, you couldn’t do anything about it, impotence in the face of things, etc.). You need to walk that balance beam between being a part of management and still showing that you care for and understand the concerns of your employees.

Critical step: Try to avoid being accused of making excuses. That’s a reputation that will be hard to recover from.