Reply to How to work with Gen Z minority woman employee

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This does not sound like a gen z / minority issue.

Sounds to me like this is a this-person-has-probably-never-had-a-real-job issue, perhaps along with a chemistry issue (you probably won’t ever like each other).

You say you have 30 years of experience—surely you can navigate such issues? [/quote]

I tend to be very good at my job but not interpersonal skills. I'm good at technical items and collaborating on solutions. I work well with people who have more deferring manners and have trouble with people who are bossy and undermining. I work in an industry that takes a lot of precision and collaboration but also has a lot of risk takers and high earners with money that like to show off their power. I used to be nervous around clients who would do this and then make me responsible for their decisions with the final product, but have learned to be deferential and just document. I am still having a harder time with younger staff and how to navigate those interactions. I want to empower them in a way that also requires respect and have a terrible time doing this. I think because of this deferring kind of English polite behavior I tend to have trouble being in roles of authority. The only thing I've learned is to ignore these types of power plays and just focus on the work. Yes, next time I will definitely ask for the phone to be put away. I just get so shocked that people even do this type of stuff and want to have positive reactions so often am a little light on comments like this till it bothers me and then of course it comes out with some negative emotion.[/quote]

I’d look into management training.  There are specific techniques for dealing with the fairly standard gamut of tactics that people use to avoid taking responsibility and doing work.   They even have catchy names to help you remember them in the moment.  An example is the “broken record technique.”   If you get some training on some of these responses and are familiar with the HR guidelines that support them (eg something in the employees manual like “team members are expected to be present and devoting their full attention to their work and interactions with supervisors and colleagues”), you can blandly and repetitively insist on basic standards being met.

I recently had to do this with a gen z employee whose excuse for not doing any work for two days was that his home internet was down (“company policy is that remote work requires a functioning broadband internet connection.  If none is available, employees need to come in to the office.  See page X of the employee guide.”). [/quote]

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