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Assistants are pissing me off - how to handle?
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Anonymous
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I have two assistants. They started around the same time, and they were really on the ball, hard working, etc. Both have since dialed back their enthusiasm a lot. They're not taking initiative any more, they show up late with claims of "family emergencies", they seem unable to complete the simplest tasks without direction and direct supervision.
Here's what's pissing me off today: I asked both of them to get a serviceperson in to deal with a squeaky air handler. We don't have a regular vendor or anything, so I wanted them to do a little research, compare some prices, and make an appointment. FOUR WEEKS LATER, after bi-weekly reports of "I can't find anyone willing to take the job", I did one google search, called the first result, set up an appointment. It took me five minutes. I've never been a manager before, and the way our organization is set up, I don't have much authority. More like, when they screw up, it's on me, but I couldn't actually fire them. So how should I handle this? I've done the friendly sit-downs, the laying out of responsibilities, the daily inquiries... "How's your workload today? Do you have any questions about the tasks? How are you coming on xyz assignment?" I feel like I have to get bitchy before they'll pay attention, but I don't want to. Even if it improves their work, it will definitely sour the mood. Advice? Thanks! |
Anonymous
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I have six people who report to me as an assistant or analyst. I have a project spreadsheet that I keep up to date on all my (which are part of their projects). Some of the columns are project/priority (high/medium/low), requestor, date assigned, date due, description, comments, status (NEW, Ongoing, Complete). We do a call every two weeks to go over the status of projects. I have them take turns running the call. Works great for me. I ask them to fill in the sheet as an update and email it to me before the phone call. My folks are around the globe which is why we do calls. Could be live as well.
Best thing it makes review time so easy. |
Anonymous
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Hard to know the exact situation, but two quick thoughts:
1. Have a couple of examples of nonsatisfactory work handy and do a sit down with each one of them. In a nonconfrontational way, use this formula : You asked them to do X, you observed Y, and the result was Z. Don't talk about emotions, or add adjectives. Just state the facts and the results on work. Then follow up with asking them how they think they can improve in the future or if you could give them more/less feedback in the future to get to a satisfactory place. 2. When I was a 1st time manager (and now I see it w/ my other 1st time manager subordinates), I tended to be a micromangaer, which killed peoples' enthusiasm and initiative (which is what I'm thinking since they both pooped out on you at around the same time). Might be worth buying a mgt book or taking a course from AMA to learn how to effectively manage people. HTH! |
Anonymous
You know what pisses me off. YOU !!! |
Anonymous
Love your humor! We all need to laugh today. |
Anonymous
OP here. Not that I object to constructive criticism, but I actually think they're a bad influence on each other. One started a month before the other, and did not smoke-- at least, not during the workday. When the second one (an unapologetic smoker with a dominant personality) came on, the first one started smoking, and now they're out for breaks together every couple hours. There are other examples of one getting away with less-than-stellar work behavior, and the other one replicating it shortly thereafter. I don't have time to micromanage. That's why I need two assistants. And that's why I'm pissed... I find that the dumb daily administrative tasks (refilling printers with paper and toner, tidying the workroom, scheduling and supporting various meetings) don't get done unless I say something. In the time that it takes me to hunt one of them down and say "the color printer needs toner" I might as well have done it myself. And then I inevitably have to remind her to check the supply closet to make sure we don't need to order more. But shouldn't an administrative assistant anticipate these little things??? They used to... |
Anonymous
| You know, since they used to be able to get it right, it sounds like they know what to do. How about simply saying "Bob and Liz, it seems like lately something's missing...you used to be almost mind readers, filling the toner as soon as it ran out, fixing everything right away. Six months ago you would have been on that air filter thing in a snap....now you can't seem to figure it out...what is it going to take to get that old magic back?" Let them offer something up. Then, you might consider an incentive..."If we can really get over the hump with this XYZ project in the next 3 months, I'm thinking I would put us all in for a performance award/day off/ice cream cones/whatever." |
Anonymous
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Maybe you could make a weekly schedule of tasks that must get done each week, like "check printer toner cartridges" and assign it to a day that it gets checked. If they have access to Outlook, they can set up recurring tasks. My assistant (when I had one before she got laid off) did that, and it worked very nicely. I used to work for a supervisor who had check-off lists so we could all remember what we needed to do when certain things happened. For example, whatever responsibilities I had related to new employees arriving, she had a "new employee" sheet with everyone's duties. I checked mine off when I did them. Then she could look at the sheet and see what still needed to be done. At my current job, we track stuff big projects with spreadsheets, organized by date, and each person enters the date they completed something, and puts in notes if needed. What I like about the spreadsheet is that you can filter it to just see what your own duties are, if you want to. One column is for the person responsible for that item, and you can filter on that column.
If you've already done the sit-down meetings and gone over their bad performance, though, it sounds like you may just need to document everything so you can eventually fire them. There are good people looking for jobs out there! |
Anonymous
| Start conducting job interviews for new assistants and have them schedule the appointments. |
Anonymous
Great idea. That would really send a message.  I may have to use this one!
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zumbamama
Site Admin Offline
Site Admin Offline
| Do you have weekly production meetings? That's a good way to discuss the week's workload, address any concerns, get everything out on the table and to keep everyone updated. If it's just 3 people, it would probably take 10-15 minutes. You could hand out check lists for both of them. Just a thought. If that doesn't work, 13:51's idea might get them on the ball. |
Anonymous
| This sounds like my husband, pre and post-baby. |
Anonymous
| I second weekly status meetings to go over tasks and assign new ones. I wouldn't just do what 13:51 said b/c they will go to HR so fast your head will spin. You need to do things to fix the situation, and if you are going to fire them, go to HR and ask them the right way to do it. It unfortunately takes a LOT of time to fire someone unless they are doing something egregious, and not filling toner doesn't cut it. |
Anonymous
I know this is a bit off topic, but how hard IS it to fire someone? We have a sour apple in our office, she is a complete train wreck professionally and she causes lots of problems with staff. I think our HR department gets at least a complaint a week about her and everyone wonders why she is still around. |
Anonymous
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OP, I feel your pain about how these assistants don't report to you, yet their dropped balls land on your feet. I used to be in the same situation and it SUCKED! I can't tell you how many times my assistant would procrastinate something, not follow up on something to be sure another her in another dept didn't sit on the ticket (ha!), etc. and ultimately VERY bad things happened for my client which *I* had to explain in a very uncomfortable manner. I usually fell on the sword rather than blame admins for not doing their job which is SO bad to do.
What I did, after realizing weekly calls and reminder emails weren't working - - was call her manager and had a conference about her. I gave a few examples of things she did well, and then I gave a lot more examples of where she was struggling. Together, she and I developed a weekly call where I gave her (the manager) feedback on the admin's performance that week. She in turn took it up with the admin and let her know that going forward she (the admin) was to make sure her workload was manageable. If it wasn't, or if she didn't know the procedure for something, she was to go directly to the manager to ask for help (offloading or instructing). That is what's needed to document poor performance for firing someone. For someone like that, it usually comes down to either they straighten up and fly right, or they get sick to death of being micromanaged until they quit. Good luck! (She ultimately quit, btw) but it was too late for me - - I moved on too. |