Santa arrives at the Dayton mall
2009 Ohio State football
Trotwood-Madison vs. Winton Woods
The usual secrets, suspicions and rumors
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Dear J.T. & Dale: I supervise four student workers and a receptionist. One of the student workers is about to graduate, so I asked our receptionist if she thought we had enough work to require hiring a replacement. While we were talking, one of our professors walked by, and the receptionist told him what we were discussing. I felt that including the professor was inappropriate. I now feel like I need to be very careful about what I say to her for fear that she will need to "share" the information. Any recommendations? — Shannon
J.T.: If your receptionist is pleasant and outgoing — like so many good receptionists are — then it's in her nature to be open and to get people's perspective on things. I think that this is a wonderful opportunity to coach her. I'd suggest that you grab a cup of coffee with her and let her know that you want to keep seeking her input, but that the incident with the professor left you uncomfortable. Share your valid concerns about confidential information traveling back through the department. You might explain the ramifications, such as a concern that the discussion would get back to the students and that they'll be worried about their jobs.
DALE: That's solid, traditional management advice ... and by "traditional management" I mean secretive management, the kind that leads to an office rife with suspicions and rumors. The trend in new, enlightened leadership is to open up communication and to employ the "wisdom of crowds" to make better decisions. If I were you, Shannon, I would invite everyone in the department to offer input. But I'd use this as a chance to discuss how your team could be more useful to the professors and the school. Perhaps, if your student workers are underutilized, you could undertake some exciting new endeavors and ...
J.T.: Hold on. I suspect that you are scaring a lot of the managers who read this column.
DALE: Good. Most managers are already nervous about their authority, about being seen as losing control. However, what they ought to be worried about is making sure that the department is better now than it was six months ago or a year ago. That's leadership. Get everyone fixated on getting better, and most management problems — like who does and doesn't get consulted on staffing decisions — disappear.
Dear J.T. & Dale: The firm I work for is closing a couple of its other branches, so now it is making everyone retake interviews so the company can keep the best of the bunch. This means my job is now up for grabs. What are my rights? — Mick
J.T.: What you are experiencing is a classic restructuring during a recession. Assuming you are not part of a union and are an at-will employee, it is within an employer's rights to do this, as long as the company doesn't use restructuring as a cover for discriminating against a protected class of employees.
DALE: Here's the most protected of all classes of employees: the ones who are making money for their employer. That's where you want to be, Mick, and I hope your situation will serve as a cautionary tale for everyone reading this. Employees might think that just because they're in a thriving branch or division, they are protected. However, wise employers use the downsizing of one area of the company to upgrade the staff in other areas. Therefore, you must, more than ever, keep demonstrating your worth: Keep a file with a list of your accomplishments. Volunteer to be on companywide committees. Work to come up with ways to cut costs. Be part of the team working to improve work-flow processes. In other words, Mick, instead of trying to build a case for your rights, work on building your case as you being the last employee the company would want to lose.
J.T.: Doing so, you also build your prospects for getting hired elsewhere, should it come to that. Indeed, I'd start talking to staffing agencies because the same job-hunting skills that you will be developing for your contingency plan will help you get rehired for your current job.
Jeanine "J.T." Tanner O'Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the cons/em>(Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success.
