Author: Kristen Backstrom
Dissatisfaction is a feeling we all have. It occurs when the goals, wants, or desires we set for ourselves can’t be met. It results in an unhappiness that causes us to change the way we behave. Sometimes that behavior can manipulate a situation to the point where a new direction can be found. Other times, we can’t fulfill what is missing. When we are dissatisfied, our body language and words will inform others of our displeasure.
Take a look at Val’s situation.
Val is a small business owner. She started her business five (5) years ago as a personal shopper/concierge. Since then she’s hired three (3) employees to help her out.
It’s the end of the workday, and Val is excited to meet up with her friend for dinner. She can’t wait to discuss her latest business victory.
Val: “I fired my receptionist today.”
Friend: “Really? What happened?”
Val: “She just didn’t work out. She was going back to school. I really think she was more interested in doing school work than the work I had her doing. Tons of errors were made. They were errors that cost me a lot of money
to fix. No matter how many times I tried to show her the way, she kept saying she needed to be reminded one more time before she could do it on her own. In reality, it wasn’t the right fit. She was really hurting my image. I mean, how hard is it to answer the phone? I assume that when a customer interacts with our business, they expect to talk to someone who is pleasant and happy on the other end. Instead, the customer got an uninterested party. In addition, she had a terrible time with grammar. It’s really embarrassing when doing a report for a client, and tenses are used inappropriately. The funny part is……she was a communication major in college. If there was a test managers could give out to new employees it should be in exercising common sense. A test like that would be fantastic! Imagine the deadwood that could be weeded out quickly. I waited it out. I kept hoping things would get better, and it didn’t. What’s worse was the fact that she was okay with being let go. She stated that office work wasn’t for her anyway. “
Friend: “How long did you wait before letting her go?”
Val: “Forty-five (45) days.”
Friend: “And, she never caught on to the fact that you weren’t into her anymore?”
Val: “Are you kidding me? I tried to help her!”
Friend: “ Val, consider this. It took you forty-five (45) days to fire her. She knew it wasn’t working out. You gave her signs that this employment relationship was over. She just waited for the day you had enough, and when that day came she claimed office work wasn’t for her.”
Val: “Signs? What signs could I have delivered that would have suggested my true feelings? “
Friend: “I bet you gave out some of these signs”.
- Using sarcasm – Instead of being honest and communicating your feelings, sarcasm is defensively used when talking to the employee.
- Taking the employee out of the communication loop – When the employee is taken out of “the loop”, communications become mostly impersonal, factual, and on a need-to-know basis. Invitations to attend meetings or luncheons may also stop. The result is the employee feeling left behind, or wondering what went wrong.
- Micro managing job tasks – When the employee is no longer a valued team member, the manager will often micro manage the employee’s performance and focus on the things done wrong. If the situation doesn’t change, the manager will begin to take various tasks away and do it themselves.
- Training other people – Training other people might result in documenting what tasks the employee does on a daily basis, or having someone available to cover for the employee while he/she is away.
In Val’s situation, both parties spent the last forty-five (45) days being stressed out and fearful about the eventual separation. It would make one ask; if the employee is failing, what’s wrong with the manager? Could the scenario have been different?
The manager’s leadership was missing. If she had the proper interviewing and training tools in place, job fit wouldn’t have been an issue. Val mentioned that a test in “common sense” would have been helpful. This works both
ways. She could create a demonstrative standard that assesses a new hire’s strength in following directions, listening, or attention span by role playing how a typical day in the office might be. Providing actual examples of what
tasks are required is perfect for seeing a person’s capability to perform the job itself. Eventually as dissatisfaction continues, the employee will know the boss is no longer invested in them.