Hello, Wayne! My dad's name is "Wayne", and "Wayne" is also my middle name. Now, let's see if I can offer an explanation to the issues you brung up:Wayne:
: 1. People can talk to you about anything but you'll still get them to quit if they don't do what you want.
Mike:
But as Shaun says, during the interview, they should at least have had a good idea as to what will be expected of them. And it's not a matter of "doing what Shaun wants". Even as a layman to this industry, I understand there's a plethora of tasks that has to be done, and when it comes to even the most unpleasant task, somebody's gotta do it. Take the toilet in the men's restroom that has loose shit splattered all over the rim and under the seat, for instance. Even worse, it may have, depending on the intestinal force, even managed to trickle over the rim and down the side, ...or up behind the seat and stopped at the stainless steel flush valve. Nobody wants to clean this up, but what if it's your day to clean the restrooms, Wayne? Are you really gonna look your manager in the eye and say "I refuse to clean this john?"
W:: 2. I doesn't matter what the protest or dispute is about if they walk off the floor you'll fire them.
M: But Wayne, what if you've got someone who's turned out to be a spoiled brat with a severe 'tude? Interview screening doesn't weed out all the bad apples in the bunch. In fact, he/she could have been your most charming interview-ee. And could have just not written down all the previous places that's sacked him/her and/or in which he/she has quit. Who has time to skip-trace every detail on the app form, and those agencies that do this cost $$$. Getting to the point, you may wind up with somebody who'll walk off the floor at the slightest provocation, [interpreted] dirty look, or unfavorable task instruction. How long do you suggest Shaun and other managers play psychologist and try to work out what's eating this employee?
W:: 3. Staff are just number at the end of all the nicities and it doesn't matter to you that they feel the need to cease their employment because they cannot get a problem resolved.
M:I believe Shaun has demonstrated in his posts that he's a fair manager, and will try his damnedest to eliminate the problem...but then what IS the problem? And is there really a problem or is the employee inventing one? And do you think the aforementioned spoiled brat would make a good manager? Winner of The World's Worst Boss Award is more like it.
W: 4. You have a DO IT OR ELSE ATTITUDE. I don't care if you don't want to clean the dining room.It's too bad.
M: Again, every career field is going to include unpleasant tasks. I don't think there is ANY employee there who WANTS to clean the dining area OR the shit-splatterred toilets (I can't say I blame them for that.), but....it HAS to be done by somebody. Is it fair that the unpleasant assignments be always and only assigned to one or two patsy-es who will tolerate doing them? Is it fair that it could turn out to be a situation where the manager is always the one mopping, cleaning, scrubbing, doing the windows, and sanitizing the restrooms?
W.: ?? have they been trained
W : ?? ten to one says they won't clean the dining room cause they've never seen your sorry arse out there leading by example.
M: You're jumping to conclusions here, Wayne! And how can you be sure that Shaun doesn't take a turn with the mop or toilet brush? Not all managers stand around acting like the big shot slave driver. I've seen many of them out there on the front line busting their ass in the kitchen, at a register, at DT, mopping, cleaning tables, AND I've seen a manager with toilet brush in hand. I have seen the lazy kind with head up the ass too, but I'm willing to bet most shift managers are not that way.
W:: Some lateral thinking by some of the brass would be a better way of solving these issues.
M: Yes, but there are limits to everything! If you're not careful, you may wind up with a store full of give-an-inch-I'll-take-a-mile types.
W:: Fearless leader! King of the Mountain! mate your'e going to fall down hard mate and with the attitude you've got to dealing with problems there will be no one there to help you on you feet.
M: Now now now! This is Shaun you're replying to, not Henry the VIIIth! You're putting words in his mouth here. In closing, yes, as manager you need to have good people skills, including indentifying all problems and solving them proactively not reactively, but again...there will be those individuals who will turn out to be simply just bad employees. No amount of screening will rid them all out. You can only take the Dr. Spock approach for so long.
Mike.
