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Original poster

How do I manage this man?

39 replies

superstress · 01/12/2022 23:56

I am a manager for a small company, with different teams working under me. One of the managers I manage is very career focussed and cut throat, which is good in some ways but he is not a team player and aggressively fights to overachieve. This creates a backlog of work for other team members to achieve and is unrealistic, damages quality of service and has rapidly effected the dynamics of the wider team. He refuses to take any advice from me and any time I provide guidance on the core business and effects of his approach, is taken above me and reported as disrespect to him and his position. Every decision I make is challenged or ignored, which makes it impossible for me to manage the wider team as I am constantly undermined.

If the quality of service continues to drop as we drown the other staff in work they cannot physically complete, the business will decline and potentially cease to exist. I do not know how to manage this man because he has a lot of potential and could go far but I cannot allow this approach to damage the business and potentially lose other team members due to undue stress.

My manager is very supportive of me and my decisions but I am struggling with how to approach the situation. In a perfect world I would keep all staff members and refocus the work on the reputation we want to maintain but I don't think that this is a possibility at this stage. This is spilling over into my personal life, I can't sleep, lose concentration and feel overly stressed all the time to the point I am questioning staying in the role.

Any advice on how to effectively manage this situation would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
determinedtomakethiswork · 01/12/2022 23:58

How long has it worked for you? I wouldn't be interested in keeping him in the company actually. Not if keeping him means the company may go bust.

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:01

He has passed probation, which is why it is such a difficult situation.

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ChicCroissant · 02/12/2022 00:03

Who said he'd passed probation? What happens when he goes above you, what kind of response does he get?

dolor · 02/12/2022 00:05

God this sounds like my recent ex boyfriend

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:06

He passed probation prior to me managing the team. When he goes above me I am supported and told my decision is final but I know that he is excelling in his role so not sure where I stand as it is more about the damage to the wider team and business

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AlexandraJJ · 02/12/2022 00:09

What does he say when you bring the issues to his attention? Have you set clear expectations re his behaviour and timescales for his attitude and behaviour to change?

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:13

When I highlight the issues I am told I am unfair and penalising him which is then taken above me and he implies I am bullying, which is totally not who I am personally or professionally. I think legally, the company are concerned of backlash.

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ChicCroissant · 02/12/2022 00:16

I don't expect you to give details on here, but it's hard to see how he can overachieve yet damage the business. If he is overloading others with work, can the people doing the work be narrowed down to a smaller team? Then if the work isn't completed he is responsible for that?

The nuclear option would be to not do the work he's booked in and make him responsible for informing the client. But that wouldn't be a great look for the company, so I would work with higher management on some performance management for him, reinforcing the work flow/capacity (this may be what you've already tried). If you've tried that without success, then it's time to limit his options by not allowing him to book any work without additional authorisation. If it's a sales position, is it the commission structure that is encouraging this behaviour?

Is it possible to take on temporary help to cover the work that he's overbooked? If he has a budget to control, make sure he's charged for it!

ChicCroissant · 02/12/2022 00:18

superstress · 02/12/2022 00:13

When I highlight the issues I am told I am unfair and penalising him which is then taken above me and he implies I am bullying, which is totally not who I am personally or professionally. I think legally, the company are concerned of backlash.

You have a duty of care to all your employees, not just this one - you might have to remind your management about that repeatedly. Just because he's shouty doesn't mean he is right.

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:22

You are bang on the money, it is a commission based role and I had considered changing the terms and conditions of the contracts (bonus related) to allow the wider team to manage the work load. I have limited the opportunities to align with work force availability but this was ignored. I have worked in the sector for many years but never faced this before

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PinkFrogss · 02/12/2022 00:24

superstress · 02/12/2022 00:01

He has passed probation, which is why it is such a difficult situation.

Probation doesn’t really matter much in the legal sense, if he has been there less than 2 years he can’t be dismissed for any reason, barring anything discriminatory.

I would have a formal and documented discussion with him, laying out the issues, giving him some SMART targets to achieve within an appropriate time frame, making your expectations clear. If he does not improve then off he goes.

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:25

I do need to continue to fight for the wider team as they are very much, heads down, carry on people until it comes to review time and they tell me they are breaking

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Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:26

Yes less than 2 years so that is good to know. I will ensure our next formal meeting includes clear expectations of behaviour: rather than performance

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JestersTear · 02/12/2022 00:30

You say that he goes over your head and complains. I may have misunderstood but have you been to your boss and laid all of this out to them and explained the situation as well? If so, do they actually help or do they just nod, smile and make the right noises?

dolor · 02/12/2022 00:31

You don't work for a food supply company do you?

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:33

I have, I think they are worried of anything coming back on the company so at the moment it is very non active

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Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 00:34

dolor · 02/12/2022 00:31

You don't work for a food supply company do you?

No, am I ringing bells?

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JassyRadlett · 02/12/2022 00:34

You're right about setting clear objectives for behaviours as well as outcomes. And in terms of target outcomes, make sure there are targets for the less lucrative work that is currently overloading the rest of the team as well as the commission-attracting stuff that looks good on the balance sheet but, as you say, can have a net negative effect even if he looks amazing.

SarahDippity · 02/12/2022 00:35

Just because he has passed his probation doesn’t mean he can’t be talked to and put on a PIP. You need to identify specific issues where he is falling short and establish goals for review within a timeframe. These can be qualitative as well as quantitative. Do you have HR support? Get them on the case.

Doingmybest12 · 02/12/2022 00:45

It seems your system of evaluating performance is not fit for purpose as how can someone making things hard further down the line also be overperforming . Or your systems further on aren't working and need addressing if he is achieving by the measure you are using and you are happy with that measure. It seems to be a failure of your model rather than of him or you need to gather the other evidence of the negative impact and address that. If he is constantly claiming you are bullying him how are your managers dealing with that . It feels like little management is going on.

Mulhollandmagoo · 02/12/2022 00:45

So I'm guessing he 'sells' something and other people have to carry out the work/service he has sold? If this is the case, then maybe his bonus or commission shouldn't be paid out until the work is completed? Or he has to converse with the members of staff he affects before booking work in?

Maybe have an official, documented meeting with him and your manager and just address your concerns with him, tell him his actions are having consequences for the wider team and that is unacceptable! Your manager seems a it wishy washy to be honest, and it's not great for you if you're losing sleep and feeling anxious about it.

Princessglittery · 02/12/2022 00:54

Your right to focus on behaviours, consider also team working as he is negatively impacting the team.

sjpkgp1 · 02/12/2022 00:59

This is meant in the nicest way, but do you think could be after your job ? When you talk to your manager about him, do you think they are being completely honest with you - i.e. is there any chance they actually prefer his methods rather than yours? They are probably quite removed from it, but do they think that you are enabling a less than optimum workforce, for example. I think I agree with @ChicCroissant if he was put in charge of his own team, and then he drove them so hard they all left / did not cope, you lost business, then the proof would be in the pudding. Sometimes senior management have to actually see it in action / affects them before they will believe it. This can mean relinquishing some control for a while, but normally these sorts hang themselves by their own petard. Taking control early means that you should be able to have the team you really want around you, and you will appear generous iro of helping this person further his career. It's not always nice to play a game, but sometimes you have to, because others will if you don't. Best of luck x

Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 01:07

I agree that I made some oversights/assumptions when creating the performance model and this has created the issue. I think I am going to have to group performance to link the whole team rather than role based performance to create more cohesion through the team. The nature of the roles are very different and I tried to be fair assuming the core business would be in focus but it is not. I think maybe I need to go back to the drawing board to resolve this.

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Original poster
superstress · 02/12/2022 01:12

sjpkgp1 · 02/12/2022 00:59

This is meant in the nicest way, but do you think could be after your job ? When you talk to your manager about him, do you think they are being completely honest with you - i.e. is there any chance they actually prefer his methods rather than yours? They are probably quite removed from it, but do they think that you are enabling a less than optimum workforce, for example. I think I agree with @ChicCroissant if he was put in charge of his own team, and then he drove them so hard they all left / did not cope, you lost business, then the proof would be in the pudding. Sometimes senior management have to actually see it in action / affects them before they will believe it. This can mean relinquishing some control for a while, but normally these sorts hang themselves by their own petard. Taking control early means that you should be able to have the team you really want around you, and you will appear generous iro of helping this person further his career. It's not always nice to play a game, but sometimes you have to, because others will if you don't. Best of luck x

I know he wants my salary, as he has asked my salary several times, but does not understand the other elements of the business. My manager is 100% behind me, as I have the experience, expert knowledge and proven ability to enhance the business. I have given him additional responsibilities and he has not managed them well.

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