Ask the "Expert"

Managing UP: Personal Perspectives

Madeline:

I've worked at a restaurant called the Pineville Tavern for 6 years in Pennsylvania, owned by my brother in law and his family. When I came home from college last summer, my brother in law had hired a new general manager. He had previously worked at an Applebee's, which is extremely different than the three-hundred year old tavern where I work. He tried to adopt rules and standards from Applebee's, such as "employee check lists" and strict guides for how we set up our salad bar and fridge, which is far from how the Pineville operated for hundreds of years. We have a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and culture that the new manager was trying to change. He did not understand that our restaurant's success does not come from efficiency and check-lists, but instead comes from the people who work there and the quality of food. Because he was new, though, I felt as if the responsibility was on the employees to make the relationship work. I tried to show the new manager our culture by inviting him into conversation, and also tried to get to know him, so that we could have more open conversations about what we expected from each other. 

INPUT:

Getting to know your new boss is a great way to start solving the issues that are occurring in your work environment, so bravo for working in that direction. It sounds to me like your new boss may not be educated on the style of the Pineville Tavern. Though he may be an experienced manager with more than sufficient training, it is very important to understand that culture of the place that you work; that’s what helps to create good ‘fit’ within an organization. I’m sure that your boss is used to a nationalized chain environment, which is practically a manufacturing culture, with efficiency as the main goal. Obviously this is different from the Pineville Tavern, but this manager change could be a good opportunity for both the employees and your new boss. In fact, with time and good communication, both parties could definitely benefit from some simple changes. The boss might feel wound-up from working at Applebee’s, and might appreciate the more relaxed environment of Pineville. In turn, Pineville might be able to benefit from subtle efficiencies only revealed in the chain restaurant business. The employees should meet with the boss, and explain the culture of Pineville, and explain that he can relax a bit if possible. Then, you and your fellow employees should mention things that you see as inefficient in the Tavern, and ask your boss if he has any suggestions about ways they can be improved. You should also think about talking to the owner, and seeing what his objectives were when hiring a new manager with what you perceive as such a different management style.

Drew:

One problem I had with a boss occurred when I worked as a server for a restaurant.  The owner/manager (that was also a passionate cook), had the desire to micromanage everything that happened in her restaurant.  Even worse was when things got very busy on high traffic nights she would sometimes get caught up in the moment, push people out of the way, and attempt to do their job while still screaming and yelling at everyone else.  This was bad for business not only because her screams could be heard from the floor but also because she would work slower and make more mistakes than the professional chefs she pushed out of the way.  The main reason for all of this occurring was due to her short temper, and tendency to jump on even the slightest mistakes she saw.  

INPUT:

The best way to deal with this problem is to emphasize your own confidence in with your own responsibilities, even when you make slight errors.  If she sees something wrong and is about to go on a screaming rant or a move to do someone’s job you might quickly look her in the eyes and sternly say something along the lines of "I know! Don't worry! I got this!"  This might cause her to smile and move on with her monitoring of the restaurant, as she may be convinced you have it under control. In the end, maybe her extreme behavior was mainly the result of seeing mild employee insecurity as threatening the productivity of the workplace (her life's work).  By giving her quick assurance it should make her more easily accept the minor mistakes that are common in such a fast paced work environment and ultimately allow the restaurant to perform at a higher level of productivity.  (And free of screaming rants from the kitchen).

Carolyn:

One of my managers during high school was very hot tempered and was not open to suggestions or comments about anything. He did not show respect to his employees that he worked with, and often times would speak to us very in a condescending way. It created a very tense environment, and strained the relationship between management and the employees.

INPUT:

This is a classic problem in the workplace, but sounds manageable by you, the employee! My first suggestion would be to figure out your boss. Know what makes him tick, his likes and dislikes, and then see how those align with your own. Find the common ground that you both can work well together on and then work on developing patience and talk to fellow employees. Rather than complaining, talk about productive ways to manage your boss, like meeting with him, or presenting things in ways that he appreciates and understands. This will probably be difficult, as dealing straightforwardly with someone condescending can be discouraging. It can, however, solve the bigger issues and make for a more pleasant work environment.

George:

When I was fifteen, I started working for a landscaping company. It was a small company—about 14 employees, but the boss was a difficult man to work with. He had seen me grow up, having been the landscaper for our house when I was young. The first season that I worked for him, he assigned me relatively menial tasks that, in my opinion, should have been incredibly easy to figure out. When I did them to the best of my abilities, however, my boss (David) would come around and re-do all of my work. Not only did I feel useless, but David was also grumpy about the fact that he had to ‘waste time’ going back over my planting and other work. The situation became slightly tenser as time went on, and I also became frustrated for two reasons: I did not feel like I was accomplishing anything and I was not being assigned tasks but what I thought were stupid tasks. Furthermore, when I talked to my fellow employees about the problem, they told me what I was doing was fine, and that David was just an overbearing and very meticulous person.

INPUT:

I would continue to talk to your fellow employees about David. Though you should not spend time bashing him and complaining, it might be helpful to know how the other guys on the crew managed David in the past. Looking to seasoned ‘vets’ might allow you to implement some strategies to impress your boss and get him off your back. For example, ask them what nuances exist in his planting style so you can try and imitate them. Presumably, the reason he keeps re-doing your work is because it is not in his style, and he might consider himself somewhat of an artist. Ask him questions about what you can do better, and level-headedly express your frustration with the fact that he redoes all your work. This will give you an opportunity, not only to get to know him better, but also to improve your work and abilities in general. If things are still not improving, maybe consider asking him for an assignment at an account that he is not supervising all of the time. Spend some time away with other employees, and learn how they are able to deal with David. Then, you will be able to come back fresh, and hopefully ready to tackle the days ahead with a positive outlook.