How do you tell people to work instead of play - nicely.

[mycrabface]

Here's the thing: There are 3 people who are under me. My "boss" wants this thing done by this time. Out of the three people, only one doesn't lie around all day. The other two, no matter how hard I try to persuade them to get things moving, they have no reactions. I don't think they understand simple english. Alright, maybe I should try and talk to them in baby language. Gaa gaa... ... Because if they continue like this, we definately won't be able to finish it by the dateline given. I need their cooperation and we have to do it together. So far, the majority of the work have been done by my faithful sidekick and myself.

I talk to them nicely. What is their problem? They don't seem keen on doing their job. Its like they don't want their position.

Just today, I asked one of them how long she's going to spend today doing some of the work (because we have to do it together - since I'm in charge, and anyway my sidekick and I would be staying back way after they've left as they're giving lame excuses not to stay back) and she just turned around and walked away! NO RESPECT. IRRESPONSIBLE.

[elspeth]

Maybe it's time for a staff meeting. You don't need to make it a nasty or an accusative one -  I might be inclined to approach it as a planning meeting. Sit down with your staff, a breakdown of what needs doing, and a timetable that will get you to the deadline. Split the work out and make sure you've clearly said to each person 'this is your part of the project, this is your deadline and if you're not going to be able to meet it I need you to tell me in good time and explain to me what the problem is.' Then make them repeat back to you what they're going to do and when they're going to do it by. Make sure you give them scope to air any problems ('Here's your deadline, do you see any potential problems with your meeting it?') so that, if they come back later and say 'you overworked me' or 'I didn't understand' you can say 'I did ask you if your part was ok and you said yes.'

Make sure you keep notes of the meeting so you have backup if they don't follow through.

Check up on them from time to time. 'How are you getting on with... are you still on track for your dealine? If not why not and what can I do to help sort your problem out?'

Then, if they do it - great. Make sure you then go round and say 'well done, that project worked really well, I think we'll do the next project the same way.'

If they don't do it... yes it'll be a swine to get the project in on time. On the other hand, you also have a case (if you feel it's justified) to go to your boss, HR or to whoever handles staff discipline in your office and say 'I have a problem with these people, here's how I managed the project and they didn't do their work and didn't tell me they wern't going to make the deadline I set them, now the project is behind and it's a serious problem. Here's my backup to show that I managed the project well and gave them opportunities to come to me with problems.'

If one of them walks away from you - as their supervisor you are perfectly entitled to call them back and say 'never walk away from me like that again. I expect you to treat me with respect and courtesy, as I do you. If I catch you treating anybody in the office with such rudeness again I will report you for it. Now, let's go back to what I was asking you about...'

People like this have often got to be carefully managed - because if they don't think they'll be checked up on and held to account for their work, they won't do it because you're letting them get away with it. It's like disciplining naughty children - they've fallen into a bad habit but if you don't teach them there are consequences for that habit and you will routinely discipline for it, they have no motivation to change their ways. It may not make you popular, but if you want the work doing, it's the only way.

[mycrabface]

Maybe it's time for a staff meeting. You don't need to make it a nasty or an accusative one -  I might be inclined to approach it as a planning meeting. Sit down with your staff, a breakdown of what needs doing, and a timetable that will get you to the deadline. Split the work out and make sure you've clearly said to each person 'this is your part of the project, this is your deadline and if you're not going to be able to meet it I need you to tell me in good time and explain to me what the problem is.' Then make them repeat back to you what they're going to do and when they're going to do it by. Make sure you give them scope to air any problems ('Here's your deadline, do you see any potential problems with your meeting it?') so that, if they come back later and say 'you overworked me' or 'I didn't understand' you can say 'I did ask you if your part was ok and you said yes.'

Make sure you keep notes of the meeting so you have backup if they don't follow through.

Check up on them from time to time. 'How are you getting on with... are you still on track for your dealine? If not why not and what can I do to help sort your problem out?'

Then, if they do it - great. Make sure you then go round and say 'well done, that project worked really well, I think we'll do the next project the same way.'

If they don't do it... yes it'll be a swine to get the project in on time. On the other hand, you also have a case (if you feel it's justified) to go to your boss, HR or to whoever handles staff discipline in your office and say 'I have a problem with these people, here's how I managed the project and they didn't do their work and didn't tell me they wern't going to make the deadline I set them, now the project is behind and it's a serious problem. Here's my backup to show that I managed the project well and gave them opportunities to come to me with problems.'

If one of them walks away from you - as their supervisor you are perfectly entitled to call them back and say 'never walk away from me like that again. I expect you to treat me with respect and courtesy, as I do you. If I catch you treating anybody in the office with such rudeness again I will report you for it. Now, let's go back to what I was asking you about...'

People like this have often got to be carefully managed - because if they don't think they'll be checked up on and held to account for their work, they won't do it because you're letting them get away with it. It's like disciplining naughty children - they've fallen into a bad habit but if you don't teach them there are consequences for that habit and you will routinely discipline for it, they have no motivation to change their ways. It may not make you popular, but if you want the work doing, it's the only way.

Thanks for the advice! Though I don't think I'll say 'never walk away from me like that again. I expect you to treat me with respect and courtesy, as I do you. If I catch you treating anybody in the office with such rudeness again I will report you for it. Now, let's go back to what I was asking you about...' because we're kind of on the same level. We have to do the same work. Its just that I plan when to meet up - we have to do it together, because its more effective as I have to go to my bigger boss to get the key (literally). Another thing is, they're friends are also mine, though I'm less close to them. The last thing I would want is the whole world thinking I'm some crazy workaholic who can't give them a break - they've had enough breaks already.
But I will get them together and discuss what in the world their problem is.
Thanks elspeth!

[Bob]

If you control the work of those underneath you, you could give them something that's super easy.  Something they should be able to do without much effort.  Once they've done that, you can praise them, etc. so they feel good.  Then give them something a little bit more difficult. 

Just like you might do for a student.


Cover your butt of course, like Elspeth said.  Do something, then report them. 

And then see if you can get rid of them.  You should be doing actual work, not wasting time playing games of how to get them to work. 

Willingness to work should be a given.

Being able might not.  Talk to them to see if they have any problems.

[rc]

You're all much nicer than I am, I'd probably have cut them out somehow by that point, I'd rather put my energy to productive use than have it wasted trying to be a parent to some stunted kids.

But Elspeths approach is probably better   It gives them a chance to still be useful.

I think being able to stand up for yourself in the face of disrespect is a good thing to be able to do.  Even if you're caught off guard in the moment, to be able to confront it after the fact "when I talked to you back there and you walked away...  If you do that again we're going to have a problem".  But like in dog training, it's more effective to be able to discipline in the moment.  Even if you get angry, so long as you can control it.  I've found controlled anger can be useful, it gives a burst of energy, an edge to the words...  Helps get the point across.  It's understandable to get a little angry when somebody shows such disrespect.

[Bob]

Of course, as a teacher or supervisor of anyone, anything the underlings do can be blamed on the person above them -- which is a problem for you.  If your workers do something wrong, someone can always say it was your fault in some way.  Which makes me wonder how much to complain to others about your own workers -- It may be better to shuffled them along and get rid of them discreetly.  And that's exactly what I see happening often.

[rc]

That's what I was thinking too Bob, cutting dead weight... But I'm more in favor of doing so in a less discreet way, heh.

But in the same line of thought, if you can somehow make the crappy grunts useful - that makes you the valuable miracle worker!  An even better leader.  Cutting the fat is probably better reserved as a plan B.

[Bob]

If you have ideas to turn people around, I'm all ears.  I've been caught in the middle a few times.

[mycrabface]

Of course, as a teacher or supervisor of anyone, anything the underlings do can be blamed on the person above them -- which is a problem for you.  If your workers do something wrong, someone can always say it was your fault in some way.  Which makes me wonder how much to complain to others about your own workers -- It may be better to shuffled them along and get rid of them discreetly.  And that's exactly what I see happening often.

So true. I always get into trouble for the things they do wrong. Its like having a bunch of kids do paperwork.

This is an update:
Things were getting pretty bad, so I called them in for a meeting. As expected, they were late. I didn't say anything about it. So I gave them less work to do, since they can't make up the time for it. Their reactions were okay. They were happy that I didn't ask them if they wanted to quit because of their incompetency. So even in this way where they're satisfied, I doubt we can make the dateline, because its an awful lot to do.