STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Frustrated and at my wits end.

Suasoria · Chanel

It sounds like a heavy workload for a small team. I hate to suggest another meeting, but sometime in the next week or two, when this deadline has passed, can you regroup to discuss the "challenges" you experienced and some constructive ways to not repeat them?

Is there any way to solicit feedback that would be anonymous (therefore non-punitive) and then take it to your manager for advice?

Are there incentives for staying late to complete projects?

Five months of working on this problem seems sufficient to me...perhaps when the one person shoves off in June morale will improve.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Thanks for your response. In general we are use to working with tight deadlines and turn arounds. It is one of those things that comes with the territory of being an auditor in a public accounting firm. The client drops a deadline and then you deal with it to meet it. No real incentives to work late other than if you want to keep your job and get a good evaluation you have to pull your weight. On large projects like the 10-K and 10-Qs we try and give people a free vacation day to regroup to make up for it but we can't do bonuses or rewards. I've also been encouraging people to take extra vacation days since they all have vacation balances building up but people aren't jumping on that either. So adequate time away from the job isn't playing a role as there are opportunities they just aren't being utilized.

I think regrouping is definitely a good idea. I'll have to give some thought as to whether it should be one on one or as a group and plan an agenda with examples to be fully prepared for the defensive attitudes.

There isn't a way to solicit anonymous feedback. My manager has been trying to solicit it one on one through her for a few months where I wouldn't know who is having an issue with what so that we could see what the issue is but that was fruitless. I wish there was a better system but right now the only way it could be anonymous to me is if they talk to her and then she gathers responses and talks to me. There is one system in place through HR but people don't really utilize it and even if they did you have to have 4 or 5 people fill one out on you before it will release from the system for you to see what people say. It's rather dumb but for my level they don't think upward feedback (that's what it is called) is really that necessary or important.

I am hoping morale improves when the worst one rolls off because the other one is the weaker link but we can't seem to break him of the bond. I think part of what has started it is the fact that the worse one saw that he is rolling off come June and doesn't have a "home" but it was explained a LONG time ago by people above me that it was going to work like that and that the decision was made by the uppers but that didn't help. I think that is the underlying issue and they have continued to stew and invent things to be mad about.

Goodness and they said girls are catty and difficult to deal with!

Kincali · Dooney & Bourke

Hmm, it almost seems that they think they deserve to be in your position, for whatever dumb reason. At this point, I would want to give the notice that if they don't want to work under you, there are thousands out of work that would be happy to. I'm not good at things like that though, I basically would just say that but I'm sure there are HR approved ways of doing this. As I get older unfortunately I have less patience for people in general, vs getting more tolerant. I would be ready to knock heads together.

Kelly · Hermes

I agree with Kincali. Is there any way to threaten them? Like next time you send out an email about this say "keep in mind, I will be filling out employee evaluations next month and I am carefully considering everyone's job performance." I don't know if you have the power to hire/fire but you could hold that over their heads too.

Maybe it's bold and bitchy and tough, but it sounds like that's what they need. I mean, it sounds like you've really tried to do this the nice way and they just aren't responding. It sounds like they think that they can act any old way and keep their jobs.

twinkle_star · Kenneth Cole

If you feel that the workload isn't too much to handle and is within their job description then it's a performance issue. Have you given documented verbal warnings or written warnings? Would you fire them? I mean they are being paid to do a job and if that job isn't being done to standard and they are aware of the issues and don't correct them then I'd let them go. People management is definitely the most challenging part of any job I've had! It can be really unpleasant.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Thanks guys. I can't fire but I can write their evaluations which are used for raises, bonuses, and promotions. One has been talked to before about performance so it wouldn't be too much of a shock if I wrote some disappointing/bad things in there. The other not-so much so it might be a tad harder but he has been responding better since he was talked to last week. He really is the weaker one and should bounce back after the bad apple leaves. I just wish I could get rid of him sooner than June 30th but we have too much to do right now to dump him and try and train someone new.

It really is hard to walk the line of being nice and a complete bitch and it's sad when you have to go down that route but unless I do they try and take advantage.

Thanks for listening and the advice. I really felt like I was the crazy one last week.