OT: Management Dilemma

[TheVictors]

So one of my direct reports -- a late-40's divorcee/single mother of a 15yr old -- started with us in May. She's nice and friendly, but very frustrating to manage.

She is good on the phones (sales) but has been making critical mistakes with accuracy of information which is a BIG problem in finance. Worse than the misspoken terms by phone are her emails.

She is, a very big, fan, of extra commas and utilization of $5-words that don't make sense in the context. Two weeks ago, we held a meeting about emails and what to send/not send and I thought I was pretty clear.

"Per our conversation, please see attached" and so forth is what I told her to stick with. Not ten minutes after our meeting I get an email forwarded to me that was precisely the opposite of what we'd discussed. She took the three bullet points provided her and re-wrote them, adding in a bunch of superflous crap.

So on Friday, during her quarter review, I again asked her to stop it with the emails and to only use the templates I provided. I asked her to CC me on her emails for the week and of the eight she sent yesterday, three were in complete contrast to our chat.

I don't know what to do but I feel like a broken record. How many times do I have to say something before it sticks? Worst of all, she thinks she's really great at her job but had quite a bit of critical feedback from her co-workers, for whom she works. And aside from all the commas, she's the master of cliches ...

"just want to get on your radar..."
"at the end of the day, ..."
"just calling to touch base..."

I've tried coaching her on this and she told me not everyone is an English major ...which is wholly besides the point. My degree has nothing to do with it - I think she's either an idiot or suffering from debilitating ADD, or something.

I just sent her a very blunt email and said I was tired of repeating myself and she replied, arguing with me, insisting that she isn't sending unnecessarily long emails ....but she is!!

What the fuck??

How do you resolve this?

 

[byco42]

What formal disciplinary policy does the company have? Probation? Warnings? Apply them if they exist.

 

[Michchamp]

she sounds like an Excuse Maker.

 

[Diggler Cometh]

Time to shit can her and bring in a good looking 24 year old

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

You know what I hate? When people add crap as their signature like super long quotes or a bunch of colorful text. I don't want to see that crap every time I write you an e-mail. Hopefully she doesn't do that as well.

I'm not sure why you're worried about crappy e-mails if she's getting information wrong. That would be my primary concern. Internal e-mails are fairly irrelevant, at least in my job, to the quality of someone's work. But if the quality of work sucks, then that's a different issue.

 

[Michchamp]

You know what I hate? When people add crap as their signature like super long quotes or a bunch of colorful text. I don't want to see that crap every time I write you an e-mail. Hopefully she doesn't do that as well.

I'm not sure why you're worried about crappy e-mails if she's getting information wrong. That would be my primary concern. Internal e-mails are fairly irrelevant, at least in my job, to the quality of someone's work. But if the quality of work sucks, then that's a different issue.

Oh, is this the general "everyboyd b!#ch about work" thread now? I thought it was specifically about vic's work issues.

 

[everyoneneedsasmil]

If she is having problems with accuracy, pursue that first. It will set up that there are serious consequences for actions, and you can use that as extra incentive to pursue your problem with her communication skills.

On one hand, I'm sure her emails are incredibly annoying and you would want them to improve. On the other hand, I don't believe you can instigate disciplinary action unless you can show that her emails are compromising the accuracy of your information or notably impacting the work of her co-workers. You can't just fire someone for providing equally valid communication just because you don't like it (though it seems like you wouldn't have trouble finding legitimate negative impact).

So primarily I would say to pursue disciplinary action around her lack of accuracy. In your meeting with her (I assume initially as a warning), state that her inability to follow your directives on the emails is indicative of a lack of focus or awareness of the problem. This way you can push the email improvements as part of the warning (and more importantly a measure of her focus going forward), but without showing them as a cause of disciplinary action. In the end you can use it to appear as more of the good guy, telling her that you were trying to find a way to keep her engaged instead of more serious discipline.

 

[byco42]

You know what I hate? When people add crap as their signature like super long quotes or a bunch of colorful text. I don't want to see that crap every time I write you an e-mail. Hopefully she doesn't do that as well.

I'm not sure why you're worried about crappy e-mails if she's getting information wrong. That would be my primary concern. Internal e-mails are fairly irrelevant, at least in my job, to the quality of someone's work. But if the quality of work sucks, then that's a different issue.

E-mails are the window to an employee's approach to the job.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Oh, is this the general "everyboyd b!#ch about work" thread now? I thought it was specifically about vic's work issues.

I was simply asking if she was also one of those annoying people. I posted it in more of a personal statement than a question. I hate those people. You're probably one of those people. I bet you write "Forever yours, Michchamp" in rainbow colors and 5 different fonts/sizes.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

E-mails are the window to an employee's approach to the job.

If she's doing a shitty job, e-mails or not, she shouldn't be working there - that was my point. Sounds like the real problem is her actual job performance. Certainly the e-mails could be looked over if she was the best employee in every other aspect of her job.

 

[byco42]

If she's doing a shitty job, e-mails or not, she shouldn't be working there - that was my point. Sounds like the real problem is her actual job performance. Certainly the e-mails could be looked over if she was the best employee in every other aspect of her job.

Second time that I'll point out the two are closely connected. You are what you e-mail.

 

[Michchamp]

Second time that I'll point out the two are closely connected. You are what you e-mail.

agreed. if her sloppy email writing is a huge liability, but her sales ability is extraordinary, hire an administrative assistant to write her emails for her.

if not, ditch her for repeated insubordination, and hire someone who can write emails and sell financial services.

 

[TheVictors]

Great feedback, thanks.

We're a small group so her actions are more noticeable than they might be in a bigger setting and the emails I'm talking about are being sent Outside the firm to clients, or prospective ones.

I'm not critical of how she tries to be friendly in her communications, its how obstinant she's been with adopting my guidelines ...she simply is not doing what I have asked her to do repeatedly and I feel like I'm being a dick.

She has an incredibly long email signature and submitted her qtly review in BLUE font color. I actually had to ask her to use black the next time.

Diggler ...we hired a hot 24yr old a couple weeks ago but she works in a different area. I proposed a trade with my counterpart and he laughed in my face.

 

[TheVictors]

Byco - exactly! That's what I told her at the first meeting ...emails are forever and in my industry can be closely scrutinized by regulatory agencies like the SEC and Finra.

And I have been shown others' emails by clients who save them just for the entertainment of sharing with guys like me...

"Look at what I got from this guy the other week.."

 

[jwlcosu]

You've been clear and to the point but still she doesn't get it. Perhaps a spanking is in order?

 

[tinselwolverine]

You've been clear and to the point but still she doesn't get it. Perhaps a spanking is in order?

Maybe the trouble is that she's drinking heavily.

Probably neglecting that teenage kid too.

 

[byco42]

Great feedback, thanks.

We're a small group so her actions are more noticeable than they might be in a bigger setting and the emails I'm talking about are being sent Outside the firm to clients, or prospective ones.

I'm not critical of how she tries to be friendly in her communications, its how obstinant she's been with adopting my guidelines ...she simply is not doing what I have asked her to do repeatedly and I feel like I'm being a dick.

She has an incredibly long email signature and submitted her qtly review in BLUE font color. I actually had to ask her to use black the next time.

Diggler ...we hired a hot 24yr old a couple weeks ago but she works in a different area. I proposed a trade with my counterpart and he laughed in my face.

Then you definitely have cause to insist that she write them as you see fit. She represents the entire organization when she communicates to your customers. If there's not a corporate e-mail signature, maybe it's time to adopt one that is uniform.

 

[bdtay1971]

Just out of curiosity, what was the point of explaining that she is a divorcee with a 15 year old?

 

[jwlcosu]

Maybe the trouble is that she's drinking heavily.

Probably neglecting that teenage kid too.

In all likelihood.

 

[RABID]

You know what I hate? When people add crap as their signature like super long quotes or a bunch of colorful text.

Yeah! That bugs me too.

Wait...

HEY!