Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Managing Problem Emphasis
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Problem Attributable to the organization
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Have the necessary tools been provided? Is the
job adequately organized?
Are there well-defined areas of responsibility?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
2. Selection
Do the applicants have the aptitude and potential to
do the job?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
3. Orientation and Training
Has the employee been provided the information
necessary to do the job?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
4. Incentives
Do the rewards of the job meet the needs of the
employee especially the most important need, the
need to feel worthwhile?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
5. Appraisal of Performance
Is there an agreement between the manager and
the employee to discuss how well the job is being
performed?
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Problem Attributable to the Worker
1. Absenteeism
2. Insubordination and Uncooperativeness
3. Substance Abuse
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Problem Attributable to the Worker
4. Poor Performance
5. Job Incompatibility
6. Sloppy Work
7. Disruptive Behavior
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Remedies Available to solve a problem Employee
Issue
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
2 Types of Counselling
1. Directive Counselling
An approach which the supervisor asks the
employee questions about specific problem
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Administering Discipline
Punishment is an unpleasant consequence given in
response to undesirable behavior.
Discipline is broader, it is a teaching process.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
•
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
1. Warning
If the employee refuses to sign, the supervisor
should make a note of the refusal.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
2. Suspension
Involves requiring that the employee not come to
work for a set period of time.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
3. Demotion
Transferring an employee to a job involving less
responsibility and, usually, lower pay.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Common Types of Worker Problem
1. Social
2. Economic and Technical
3. Legal
4. Organization itself
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Effective Supervision
As a supervisor gains a reputation for being fair,
open and responsive,
the number of problems should diminish.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Dealing with the Problem
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Dealing with the Problem
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Dealing with the Problem
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Dealing with the Problem
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
What to AVOID in dealing with the problem
1. Sarcasm
2. Loss of temper
3. Humiliating an employee
4. Profanity
[Link] reprimands
6. Threats and bluff
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
7. Showing favoritism
8. Delay tactics
9. Unduly harsh penalties
10. Inconsistent enforcement
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
1. Consider feelings of employees
2. Cool down, analyze each situation
3. Show confidence in employee’s ability to make
necessary changes
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Whether the employee has received proper
training.
Whether the employee knows and understands the
objectives he or she is to accomplish.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Managing Difficult Employees
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
1. Problem: Difficult Personalities
A. The Bully -dominates conversations and
manipulates people to get what he wants.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
G. The Dirtbag- makes inappropriate and
suggestive comments to co-workers.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Managing challenging employees is made easier
through the assistance of co-workers and employees.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Solution: Support and Train poor Performers
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
Solution: Support and Train poor Performers
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
• 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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
Module 3 – Supervision (Public Safety Services)
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.
Public Safety Senior Leadership Course
