At 56, there is a part of me that laments the loss of face-to-face relationships. I also know that there are hundreds of people who I would not know if it were not for the evolution of technology and communication. It can be easy for long-timers in any part of society to dismiss the social interaction now so prevalent on-line as shallow or meaningless. But that said, they need to ask themselves what kind of effort they have made to embrace these electronic ways to communicate and get things done.
So has community been lost because we don’t lick and stick anymore? No. Just as we needed to step forward to join lickem-stickem committees, we now need to join the on-line gatherings that are increasingly forming the backbone of today’s communities. Community has not been lost. It is just migrating and evolving.
Case Study
I am 29 and manage a bakery café for a nationwide chain. My staff ranges in age from 18 to 65. As much as I have climbed the ladder pretty fast within the organization, my older employees treat me with respect and work hard every day.
My problem is with those younger than me. Attendance is a constant issue. Some of them seem to lack situational awareness. My older workers just seem to have fun regardless of what they are asked to do. A few of my younger people seem to think it is beneath them to clean restrooms, mop floors and clean up after patrons.
While we have no obvious conflicts, the older folks have said that everyone needs to do their fair share of the dirty work. They’ve not made an issue of it, but I know they are watching to see what I do. What would you suggest?
Several thoughts come to mind. First, I have to wonder what you have done to establish clear expectations during the hiring process about the tasks everyone will perform. While that doesn’t help with your present staff, it should eliminate the problem down the road. People who do not possess the temperament for the "dirty work" will abandon their application or refuse the offer if selected. But you have to be clear up front.
I have found that the best practice for clearing up the type of challenges you face is to wipe the slate clean, re-establish expectations, and then take time to enforce them. We can all get caught off-guard by the behaviors of those who seem to think that the world owes them a living. Sadly, it is front-line managers such as yourself who end up correcting this perception through discipline and even termination.
As these issues occur with certain individuals, I would pull them aside and say something like, "I have been noticing a pattern of attendance issues and complaints about what you are asked to do when you’re working. So I think I need to re-establish the expectations we have of you in this job. We need to you show up for all your shifts and to be punctual every time. We all have challenges getting to work sometimes, but the job has to come first. I also realize you’re not real happy about cleaning the restrooms, mopping the floor or cleaning up after customers. It’s not a lot of fun. But it needs to be done. No complaints. It’s part of the job, just like preparing food and working the counter. Now can I have your word that you’re going to meet these expectations from now on?"
This places the responsibility on them and clearly establishes expectations. If they agree and start to slide again, you are fully within your authority to terminate them or some other appropriate action. You can use your older staff members’ watchful eyes as motivation for managing consistently.
By the way, do not let these young people suck you into a discussion about whether everyone is being treated fairly. This is a business. You’re the manager. They work for you. You use your judgment to assign tasks and supervise people in order to turn a profit for the store. If they feel they are being treated unfairly, they can always look for another job. Fairness has nothing to do with this. If you weren’t an effective manager, you would not have been placed in the role.
iPomp & Circumstance
Virtual graduation, real learning. This summer, twenty-two University of Hawaii students met inside Diamond Head Crater for a commencement speech. They received their Masters Degrees in Educational Technology in the virtual world of "Second Life".
The students who attended the virtual graduation were able to hear a commencement speech delivered by their Dean’s avatar. The real Dr. Christine Sorensen was in another small classroom. According to Dr. Sorensen, part of the challenge is for the faculty to adapt to the changing needs of learners, who are much more comfortable with technology because they grew up online.
Assistant Professor Dr. Peter Leong stated that in the past, most of their online students were unable to attend the live graduation so they adapted to meet the changing needs of the students. Because they did so, all students from the cohort were able to drop in – or log in – for the ceremony. Some of them attended the Second Life’s after party, and then logged off to celebrate in person with their friends and families in their various locations.
