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10 ways managers can fix employee ethics and productivity problems

Cliches are cliches because they are generally true. One cliche that is overused is one attributed to any number of famous people. Regardless of who said it, I believe it is a great leadership principle:

I’ve spent over 40 years managing people, and I can say this with confidence: when I have violate this principle I generally end up with a mess.

Several years ago I was approached by one of my leaders. He was having difficulty with another leader on the team, and he said, “I genuinely respect her as a leader, and I want to work more closely with her. The problem is that when we are working on a problem together she is far more interested in being understood than she is in understanding.”

That’s a big deal.

As I’ve mentioned in our other “10 ways…” blogs, ask your employees questions and listen to the answers.

Seriously. It’s that easy.

Here’s how I like to approach 10 hard conversations about ethics and productivity. These are all real situations I’ve had to confront with employees over the years. It’s rarely as simple as I thought it’d be, but that’s part of what I love about being a manager. People always surprise me. And when I help someone grow personally and professionally, we both win!

Sure, everyone misses their alarm or gets stuck in traffic every once in a while. But if your employee can’t even make it on time to work for 1 week straight, you’ve got a problem.

First let me state the obvious. Public humiliation — during a meeting, at their cubicle, or in the break room — is not the answer here. Make sure you address the issue in private.

Once you’ve sat down with them and have their attention, get to the point. I wouldn’t waste too much time on small talk — it’ll feel like you’re stalling.

Here’s an example of how you could phrase the question:

Some reasons they give could include:

First, make sure they’re familiar with your company attendance policy. You might even spend 1 to 2 minutes reviewing it with them to make sure it’s fresh in their minds.If you don’t have a published policy, be clear about your expectations. By talking about it in-person, you add a layer of accountability.

Here’s an example of what you could say to your employee:

You have 2 options:

Let’s say they aren’t missing meetings or forcing coworkers to rearrange their schedules. Why not let your employee adjust their work schedule? Of course, if you make this kind of exception for 1 employee, be ready to make the exception for others as well. Try not to give anyone special treatment.

Then again, you may need your employee to be in by 8:30 am for a daily check-in meeting. If it won’t work to have them phone into the meeting, work with them to come up with a plan to get them into the office on time. Share your own tips for waking up in the morning. Having an outside person to hold them accountable could be the push they need.

Years ago, I had a graphic designer named Ronnie who fit a certain stereotype for me. Disheveled, disorganized, struggled to meet deadlines. I put him in the category of “problem employee who may never change.”

Boy, was I wrong.

At 11:30 pm one evening, I realized I left something at the office that I needed first thing in the morning. I lived about 2 minutes away, so off I went.

The lights were on.

I snaked my way through the office cubicles to Ronnie’s desk. There he was, diligently working on an important media project for me.

I said, “Wow, Ronnie! You’re really burning the almost midnight oil!”

He replied, “Well, actually, I’m here at this time almost every night.”

I couldn’t believe it.

He explained that he had a hard time concentrating in the office during the day. He was a natural night-owl. And the hustle and bustle of our open office distracted him.

Ronnie knew we had policies about office hours. So he’d try to come in at 9 am, try to get some work done, then hit it hard from 5:30 pm to midnight.

Oh boy! I had misjudged Ronnie big time. I was humbled.

But I was also concerned that Ronnie was going to burn out like a supernova. I immediately adjusted his schedule. I gave him about 3 hours of overlap with our team for face-to-face discussions. (This was before telecommuting was a thing.) And I relaxed our company’s “get here on time” policy.

Ronnie almost immediately became much more productive and happy!

The moral of the story?

Be observant and ask questions.

I wish I had spent less time frustrated with Ronnie and more time getting to know the reasons behind his behavior.

Social media is evolving faster than any of us imagined. Since the early 2000s, its changed not only our lives, but our culture as well.

It’s not going away.

How do we moderate how our employees represent our company in a medium that keeps changing in scope and purpose?

Remember: Just because you don’t like what someone posted doesn’t mean it’s necessary to address it organizationally.

You have more rights for employees with social media accounts linked to your company.

For example…

If your employee has your company listed as their current employer, you don’t have loads of rights.

But if they’re interacting with customers from their personal profile, you have a different issue.

Users can delete their posts, so when you see something out of line, take a screen shot. Keep screenshots organized, adding notes about why you think each post was inappropriate.

As the issue becomes more serious, take a holistic look at your employee’s social media presence. Is their activity across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram consistently offensive? Are they always linked with your company?

When you’re sure your employee is violating your social media policy, sit down with them. Ask about their motivation in posting the material. Explain how the post reflects on your company.

Above all, make sure you’re clear about how you want your employee to proceed. Should they delete certain posts? Do they need to remove your company from their profile? Would you like them to write a retraction or apology for a particular post?

If the post affects the rest of your staff, you’ll almost definitely want to ask your employee to delete it. Culture is king, and this kind of activity can be poisonous.

We live in a culture of publishers. Years ago, only elite writers or people with a lot of money could publish their thoughts. Now, anyone with a phone can write anything they want. We live in a culture of “I have my rights to say whatever I want!”

Um, no.

Rich was a passionate guy. Whenever he was feeling the passion, he took to social media to express himself. One day, one of his more inflammatory (and divisive) posts popped up in my news feed.

I clicked on his profile and was stunned.

He was posting this type of thing regularly. And our company brand was prominently displayed on his page.

When I got together to discuss the issue with Rich, he got defensive.

“This is my personal page, and I want to express myself freely and let my friends know where I work.”

I explained that while he had the freedom to post whatever he wanted, we needed to clear up 2 things:

First, I suggested he refrain from engaging in this type of communication on a public platform.

Second, I demanded — not suggested — he remove our company’s branding from his social media profiles.

Rich balked, but I stood firm. I suggested that if he wouldn’t fulfill my request, he would need to find a new place to work.

Interestingly enough, it was my threat to fire him that actually switched on the light bulb!

He said, “Oh! It’s that serious? Wow…I’ll remove it immediately! Thanks so much for being so clear to me.”

Rich was one of those people who needed absolute black-and-white clarity. Once I figured out what he needed, the situation was easy to handle.

This isn’t just a question of numbers, but of values.

Okay, so now that you know the legalities, you have a way to address the issue.

Let’s take a look at some reasons an employee may fudge their time sheet:

Saying “They said they worked 8 hours, but it seemed like they only worked 7” isn’t good enough. Find a way to quantify the data — with time sheets, surveillance, or biometrics.

Jerry was a valuable member of our team. Unfortunately, he also had limited capacity. He was someone who needed “think time” to do good work.

So when our company switched to a detailed time-tracking application, he was in trouble.

How was he going to track his time spent staring into space?

I’m not a micro-manager, so it took me a few months to check my employees’ time sheets. After limited analysis (like 3o seconds), I noticed he frequently used a general category. His weeks came to exactly 40 hours, and that general category fluctuated up and down to get to that number.

Jerry and I had a great relationship. As I have mentioned before, this is key to dealing with difficult issues. Knowing how he operates, I asked him about his time sheet. I wanted to know if my assumption was right. Were his general category entries time he spent thinking?

They were. But they were also time he spent recovering. Sometimes, his job took so much out of him that he simply needed time to recover.

Clearly, Jerry was in the wrong position. He was producing excellent work, and I didn’t have a problem with his “think-time.” In fact, he was able to provide important insights because of the time he spent thinking. But because he was using a good chunk of time for recovery, I knew he’d be better somewhere else. It would be in his best interest to start looking at other options in our company that would be a better fit.

After some thought, Jerry completely changed careers. And his new career path is a far better fit!

The most important lesson I learned from Jerry was that knowing him was key to a good outcome… And that’s lesson #1 in most situations!

Their habits could be reducing their own productivity. Plus, they could also be disrupting their coworkers if they take the personal calls at their desk.

Do your employees know if it’s appropriate to…

As soon as you decide that it’s a problem, set aside some 1-on-1 time to discuss it. Use specific examples to illustrate why these personal calls are an issue. Make it clear exactly why it’s a problem.

Are they…

For most employees, telling them it’s a problem won’t be enough to make them change. You need to help them understand why it’s a problem.

I’ve found it helpful to handle this conversationally as opposed to making the meeting a confrontation. Remember rule #1 — ask questions.

Find out why they’ve been taking so many personal calls.

Do they…

If you decide they can’t reduce the number of personal calls, set time frames for making calls. When can they make longer calls? When should they leave their desk so they aren’t distracting coworkers?

If they’re comfortable with it, encourage them to keep their coworkers in the loop. A little context can go a long way. It’ll help their coworkers not be discouraged by what seems to be a waste of your employee’s time.

Also, discuss how you’ll keep in touch about their emergency. Will it resolve in a few weeks, a few months, or is there no end in sight?

You might use a similar strategy for a bored employee. Let them know, with specificity, exactly when and how long calls can take place.

I’d also suggest asking them to step in on another project so they’re less bored. When your employee takes too many personal calls because they have nothing better to do, you need to step up. Be a better manager. Help your employee make better use of their time.

Geoff was a talker. His wife was a talker. They had three young kids.

I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found out how many calls he was getting!

Geoff would get between 5 and 15 calls a day from his wife.

I’m not exaggerating.

Apparently, she needed to talk with him about everything. From disciplinary issues with their kids to dinner plans, everything warranted a call.

Because Geoff’s job already had him on the phone a lot, I didn’t notice the problem myself. It was only after one of his coworkers brought it up that I realized it was an issue.

When Geoff and I got together, I asked whether he was aware of the issue.

Surprisingly, he was.

And while he enjoyed talking with his wife, he knew their frequent calls were eating into his productivity.

Geoff wasn’t the kind of guy that could have said, “Please stop calling me at work” to his wife. So I decided to be be the “bad guy” and proposed a plan. Unless there was a real emergency, he’d have 3 windows during the day when he could take a short call. I suggested he present this as a way to stay focused at work.

After talking with his wife, Geoff let me know that she understood and that he’d execute our plan. As it turned out, Geoff was grateful for the help in this area. He knew it was a problem, but didn’t know what to do.

In the end, Geoff was more productive. The plan provided some boundaries that helped him focus throughout the day.

The famous management consultant Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

Anyone who has ever worked with other people knows it’s true.

The key to a great culture?

Treat gossip severely and aggressively, the way you would treat cancer. Because it is. Gossip is cancerous to your business. Ignored, it will spread far and wide, destroying even your best employees.

Pause.

How do you know your employee gossips and backstabs?

One thing to consider is that the coworker who tells you about your employee’s gossiping could be the one gossiping. Manipulative employees will try to get their coworkers in trouble for something they never did. Especially if they know you don’t tolerate gossip.

Do everything you can — within reason, of course — to catch your employee in the act. If gossip is something they struggle with, it won’t be hard.

For each instance you observe or hear about, make a note of what your employee said, who was present, and why their comment was inappropriate.

Was it…

Keep your notes organized and dated so you can refer to them on the fly.

Remember: Gossiping and backstabbing are serious threats to your business.

Don’t mess around.

Don’t mince words.

As with all sensitive issues, document your whole process. Then, if the behavior continues, the termination process will go smoother.

Years ago, I heard a story that outlined why this is such a big issue:

Retrieving the words we say, regardless of how remorseful we are, is impossible.

Ruth had a terrible habit of ripping into people she was struggling with. But instead of doing it in private with the person involved, she would vent to uninvolved people. This not only eroded the reputation of the person she was slandering, but it also hurt the trust others had in her.

After all, what was she saying behind MY back?

When I met with Ruth, she was defensive. Ironically, she was upset that others had shared with me what she’d said.

Still, I explained how gossip is cancerous to small teams. I encouraged her to use her considerable gifts to encourage the team and be a peace maker, not a peace breaker.

I started meeting with her more regularly. Then, she’d voice any concerns she was having. Plus, I would give feedback on any growth (or decline) on her part.

I can’t say that I saw a complete metamorphosis in Ruth, but I did see growth. I learned I need to deal with gossip quickly and decisively. And ongoing follow-up was necessary to ensure some accountability.

After some hard work and lots of accountability, we definitely had a healthier team!

We as managers have to find a balance when it comes to teamwork. We want to foster collaboration among our employees, but we don’t want to encourage it to the point that our employees abandon their own tasks to they can work on that fun project everyone else is in on.

Have you noticed an employee falling behind because they have too much on their plate? (Not because they’re not working hard enough.) It’s time to sit down with them and help them brainstorm how to prioritize more effectively.

Unable to say “no,” they find themselves failing to complete everyone’s requests. While it’s great to have subject matter experts and employees who deliver, you need to spread out responsibilities.

Some of your employees have untapped knowledge because someone else became the go-to. Just because Jerry knows loads about SEO doesn’t mean Clay doesn’t. Tap into the talents of others where you can!

Ask everyone to step up every once in a while instead of asking a single employee to step up constantly.

Some people can’t stand to see others fail. They feel guilty for not stepping in because they could have or should have helped. When they see a coworker struggling with a project or deadline, they step in — often unasked — and help out.

Sure, it’s okay to read a few emails to stay up-to-date on progress made. But red flags fly when they start hitting “reply.” By replying to emails when they’re on vacation, they’re saying, “I’m the only person competent enough to handle the situation.”

There are certain situations where, perhaps, this is the reality. But usually, they’re one of many who can handle the issue.

But their hero complex insists they hit “reply” and make it look like they’re saving the day once again. Even when they’re away from the office, they can’t resist the urge to assert their superiority.

Once you’ve determined how and why your employee has managed to have too many projects, meet with them 1-on-1. Ask them to come prepared to talk about what their responsibilities should be.

During the meeting, you can compare notes. Is there a glaring difference between what you both think their priorities should be? Make sure to give specific examples of times they took on too much and failed to deliver on their own projects.

Don’t be afraid to be the “bad guy” by letting your employee know you’re going to act as their gatekeeper for a bit. It’ll likely be a relief for them, at least until they figure out how to prioritize their projects.

Clearly define the scope of their responsibilities and what they can or can’t respond to.

If someone else asks them to do something out of scope, have them say, “My manager said I can’t take on more projects without her approval. Please talk with her.”

Sandy was the period on the end of every sentence.

Whenever any issue stumped anyone, she’s the one they turned to. And not only did they consult Sandy, they often gave her responsibilities to actually do the work.

You see, at one time or another, Sandy had done everything in our organization.

But it didn’t take long for Sandy, one of our best and brightest, to start dropping balls. Which hurt her reputation and left her feeling like a failure.

When I met with Sandy, I expressed my deep gratitude for all she was doing in our company.

Then, I turned the conversation over to her. I asked, “How are you really doing?”

She told me what I already suspected — she was feeling overworked and like she wasn’t doing anything well. I asked her what she thought were the most important things on her to-do list. Not surprisingly she felt like everything on her list was important.

I decided to ask Sandy to meet weekly with me to discuss the upcoming week’s schedule. Each week, we ranked her tasks by priority. Every task got a deadline and estimate of the time it would take to complete it.

Occasionally, we talked about some of the tasks she used to feel responsible for. As a manager, I would make sure someone — not Sandy — was handling those things.

After a month or two, Sandy got the hang of it and began to get back to the “old Sandy” we knew and loved. Her productivity soared, and she felt much better about her performance…as did the whole team!

Remember when this staff member was new to the team? They probably came to work engaged and motivated to go above what you laid out for them.

But recently, they’ve been slacking off.

Apparently, they figured out that they can get by doing less, because every time they do, their coworkers step in and pick up their slack.

Clarity, clarity, clarity.

Office-wide clarity will help everyone do what they’re supposed to do.

Create a document with details about each person’s responsibilities.

Then, send it out into the world.

Or at least your office.

Remember clarity? Employees can reference the document when they need a quick reminder of what your expectations. Plus, it’ll be easy for them to find out who to ask specific questions.

Now, I know it’s not really possible to create something that covers every single thing each of your employees does. So your best bet is to do your best, and make it a living document. Ask your employees to update it themselves as they grow and refine their processes.

Even with the clearest expectations, there always seem to be employees who kick their responsibilities away to other people.

Here are some questions you might ask to get their perspective on things:

Help them understand that the team needs to balance the workload. Whatever the reason for their off-loading of responsibility, it negatively affects their coworkers.

The reason they’ve been offloading responsibilities will inform how you move forward.

Here are a few possible solutions:

Before you end your first meeting, agree on specific deliverables. With a reasonable deadline. In writing.

Try to come up with a solution that puts as much responsibility on your employee as possible. Resist the urge to solve it all for them — even if you know exactly how to.

The goal here is to get your employee to step up.

And if your employee doesn’t change, assign them to a different role, move them to a different department, or let them go.

There’s an old fable that goes something like this:

Jeremy was a classic example of this. He was happy to give input. (He was very insightful!) But when it came to committing to do the actual work, his name was rarely in the “assigned to” category.

This became a problem when others were very busy but Jeremy wasn’t. His coworkers resented his meager workload while they were killing themselves.

When I first met with him to discuss the issue, I wanted to find out if he noticed his teammates struggling.

He assured me that he did, but he just didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t lay back because he was lazy. Or incompetent. Jeremy laid back because he honestly thought every task should be done by the person who could do it best.

We all have hierarchical values. And above all else, Jeremy valued putting the best person on every part of a project.

I agreed that was ideal. But there were times when we had to fall back on the second or third best option to balance the workload of the team.

We took some time to look at the projects our team was working on. Together we looked for places where Jeremy had the talent and the drive to be a major contributor. Then, we followed up regularly to discuss both his performance and his perspective on how his work was going.

He grew to the point where there were even times when he raised his hand first to take on a new task. Now that was progress!

Jeremy’s confidence level grew. His teammates began to appreciate his efforts. And, eventually, the workload in our department balanced out. His growth was very important to the team!

Why does it seem like some employees don’t own up to failure? Every time something goes wrong, they point the finger at someone else.

Instead of acknowledging how they could have prevented the failure, they shift focus. They distract you from their failure by pointing at others’ failures.

Do these sound familiar?

Yes? Keep reading for some concrete strategies to keep a culture of blame from taking over your team.

Before you criticize your employee for trying to blame someone else, do a brief investigation to see if they’re telling the truth.

Blaming your employee for something out of their control will only make them bitter toward you and less likely to stay engaged at work.

When you’re ready to talk to your employee about their failure, keep this phrase on the tip of your tongue:

Your employee will come prepared to throw every excuse they can think of to keep the heat off of them. Keep the meeting on track by repeating this phrase whenever they try to shift blame. You might want to use different words so it doesn’t sound robotic, but the point is the same…”Let’s keep the focus on what we can control.”

After a few tries, your employee will see that blaming others won’t work.

And even if something did come up that kept them from completing their project, this phrase helpfully redirects the conversation to help your employee grow. Sure, Joe in accounting sent that report a day late, but how could your employee have prepared for that? Did they stay in touch with Joe before the report was due, making sure Joe was on track? Did Joe know how long your employee needed the report before the project due date?

Let’s say your blame-shifting employee used to be a top performer.

Here are a few reasons, starting with you, that your top performer may have gotten into the bad habit of blaming others for their failures:

For example, here’s something you could say if number 3 above rings true:

After discussing the real reason behind your employee’s failure, move forward with as much clarity as possible. Your goal should be to create face-to-face accountability that stems from a conversation. Do not just say, “Here’s what I need and when I need it. Go do it. Now.”

With every new project, explain what you see as their role in making the project successful. Also, explain others’ roles in the project to help them see the big picture and not only the specifics.

When you dive into specifics, keep these 2 things in mind:

Then, open the floor to questions. Encourage them to push back on anything that feels unreasonable or too complicated.

Once they’re out of questions, ask them to repeat back to you what their plan is moving forward. What are their specific duties and the due dates for their deliverables?

Finally, end your meeting with a verbal agreement. Restate their duties and due dates. Agree that they’ll contact you any time they aren’t getting the support they need. By saying out loud that you agree to a plan, you create tangible accountability.

Here’s your goal: Leave no room for blame.

Sure, there are people who intentionally tear others down. But it’s been my experience that most habitual “blamers” are just incredibly insecure. Getting to the bottom of their fears is the first step to rehabilitating their behavior.

Jessica was a high performer with very high standards for herself and her team. Unfortunately, it was difficult for her to see how she contributed to failure…. It was always somebody else’s fault.

I tried a straightforward “here is where you messed up” approach.

It didn’t work.

So I sat down with her and asked for her opinion about the failure we experienced. I asked her to analyze the issues that led to the problems and to evaluate the performance of others on the team.

When she had laid everything on the table, I asked her how she felt like she might have done things differently.

It took a little prodding.

Sometimes, I asked about a specific part of the project where I knew she was most accountable. Eventually, Jessica was able to admit there were things she could have approached differently. A major victory.

Over time, this approach helped Jessica a lot. Because I asked her opinion, she felt valued as a major contributor. And because she knew I’d eventually ask about her part in the project, she came prepared with a thoughtful self-evaluation.

So what’s the bottom line?

Jessica’s insecurities meant I needed to let her say everything she was determined to say. It was only then that she could hear my questions and accept the feedback I offered.

Let’s assume you spend time getting you and your employee on the same page for their projects right at the start. But then the due date rolls around. And there they are, telling you that they did the best they could and they’ll get it to you as soon as they can.

Let’s take a look at a few root causes and customized solutions for each.

What it means: Hyper-responsible employees often expand the scope of their projects. What starts as a simple deliverable grows to something much larger. (And something impossible to finish by their deadline!) Sure, they do it to better understand the concepts behind what they’re working on. But your employee needs to learn how to say no. They need to learn how to say, “This is interesting. But I think I’ll be able to finish my project without more exploration.”

Solution: Chat 1-on-1 with them. As their manager, it’s up to you to clearly explain their assignments in the context of how they work. Communicate the precise scope of their projects. If you can, point out some of the rabbit trails you think might tempt them and mark them as off-limits. And don’t forget to touch base with them to see if they’re staying on task. I keep it short and simple: “Please bring me up to speed on where you are now compared to last time we spoke.”

What it means: Perfectionists have a hard time letting go. Every time they return to a project, they find more things they’d like to tweak or remove or expand. Nothing ever feels done. And they hate handing in projects they know they could make better — the “if only they had more time” syndrome. So they ask for extensions when, in reality, the project might be finished satisfactorily. They need to learn how to say, “This is good enough. If I need to improve it, I trust my manager to tell me so.”

What it means: It’s not all their fault. In fact, it’s mostly yours as the manager. Sure, you could blame them for not clarifying, but taking some responsibility is your best bet to getting your employee back on track. You need to learn how to say, “I thought we were on the same page, but I don’t think we actually were. That’s on me.”

Solution: Get face-to-face with them and ask them if they’re burnt out. Is there a chance they’ll say they’re not to save face? Absolutely. But there’s also a chance that you’ll catch them at just the right moment. They’ll say, “Yes, yes, I am.” And only then will you get to have an honest conversation about how you can redeem the situation. If they admit to being burnt out, praise them first. Build them up by reinforcing the value you see them bringing to the team and the company as a whole. Then, find out what they think would renew them — and do it if you can.

I was convinced that James wanted to meet deadlines…he just had no idea how to organize himself. What was true for James (and most of us) was that large goals and deadlines are unmanageable without intermediate steps.

To simplify it, a lag measure is something like, “I want to lose 40 pounds in the next 6 months.” If you’re anything like me, 6 months would pass, I wouldn’t lose 40 pounds, and then I would wonder, “Why?”

Lead measures are the metrics you believe will help you reach your lag measure. In the example of losing 40 pounds, a lead measure would be, “Work out for at least 30 minutes 5 times per week.” A goal like this is easy to measure. And if it isn’t working, you can make changes in order to accomplish your ultimate lag measure.

James could only see the lag measure. And it was simply too big for him — he didn’t know what to do. So we broke his responsibilities into smaller pieces. We shortened his “check it off the list” timeframe and agreed on very specific, measurable goals. We were able to make mid-course corrections in his work.

James became much more productive. More importantly, he felt accomplished as he met deadlines and produced real work. Everybody benefitted from this exercise!

It’s never a good sign when one of your employees consistently does the easiest or most fun tasks first. Especially when it means their other projects suffer, either in timeliness or quality.

The whole point of having hard conversations with your employees is to find the underlying issues. Try to get to the bottom of the issue by asking questions.

“How are you really doing?”

That’s the first thing you want to ask your employee. Especially if they used to be able to prioritize well.

Is your employee struggling with a personal crisis? Are they feeling unappreciated or experiencing low motivation?

Once you know the root issue, you can help them deal with their personal crisis. Or make a point to be more affirming. Or help them feel more engaged.

What if there’s no underlying issue to your employee’s inability to prioritize? Their personal life is good, they feel appreciated, and they’re motivated every morning.

Now what?

They’ve never been good at prioritizing. They have subpar time management skills, often procrastinating. When they have to choose between the more exciting or easy task and the task they don’t like, they never choose the latter. And that’s a problem.

Before your next 1-on-1 chat, write out how you’d prioritize their current assignments. Then, ask them to do the same. Spend some time comparing them. Discuss why you gave certain tasks a different priority than your employee did. Of course, let your employee explain why they prioritized their tasks differently.

Have meetings like this for however long it takes them to start prioritizing like you would. Oh, and make sure you hold them accountable to the list you agree on! It won’t do any good to have them able to prioritize on paper without following through!

Another tactic to help them prioritize more effectively is to let them see you’re serious about deadlines.

In a face-to-face meeting, agree to a deadline for each task verbally and in writing. If you think it will help, outline the future consequences for letting projects slip off their radar.

While you’re at it, make sure there aren’t any obstacles slowing down your employee. Just because it seems like they’re only doing the easiest tasks doesn’t mean they are. Maybe they’re doing what they can (which happen to be the fun, easy things) while they wait for their coworkers to finish their part of the project.

Once your employee knows you’re serious about certain deadlines, they’ll be empowered. Then, they can insist their coworkers stop holding them up and get their pieces done on time, too.

Kaitlyn was an amazing employee in almost every way. She was smart, energetic, observant, organized, action-oriented. Yet between her periods of wild productivity, her priorities would get out of whack.

Because Kaitlyn was curious, she found her way into every nook and cranny of our company. And because she was so talented, she excelled in almost everything she did. Unfortunately, she made herself far too important in several areas of our company. Although she delivered more value than anyone else in the building, she wasn’t always delivering the right value.

I sat down with Kaitlyn and asked her to sketch out all her responsibilities….those I gave her and those she collected along the way. Then, I deleted things that others could do, that didn’t need to be done, or that could be put off for a time.

At first, Kaitlyn was uncomfortable with my plan. She asked, “Who’s going to do all this?”

My response? “Not you.”

She smiled, and we worked together to make sure all our bases were covered. Then, we took her shortened list of responsibilities and prioritized them with deadlines. Kaitlyn loved this. The most productive person in our company became even more effective and valuable!

A friend of mine coined this great phrase:

It’s not always true, but I love the sentiment. When our employees have questionable ethics or are generally unproductive, it’s easy to think they’re being lazy or evil.

But when we dig in and understand why they’re behaving in a certain way, great things happen. We get to be part of their professional growth and rehabilitation, improving both their lives and the company culture. That’s why we love being managers.

So, as I keep saying: Ask questions and listen to your people. The results will amaze you!

Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to inform and inspire, but should not be considered legal advice. We’re not lawyers, just business people trying to share what we know!

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