The Supervisor Who Hesitates to Manage
In this episode, we hear from Jay. He is dealing with changes in work dynamics, increased expectations from higher management, and the pressures of delivering a critical project, while considering adjustments to the work-from-home policy. He is torn between the need to address these issues and concerns about possible repercussions.
One thing thatās been really getting to me this year is how the dynamics at work have completely changed since the pandemic. I canāt quite put my finger on it, but everything feels different. Ā Itās not like I donāt have enough to deal with. Lately, work has been overwhelming. Higher management has turned up expectations a notch. At the same time, organizational changes have everyone a bit confused and stressed out, including me.
And here we thought, with the pandemic behind us, things would feel less difficult. It only seems we swapped out one set of challenges for another! Take my team, for exampleāI wish I could figure out why, but everyone seems different since they came back to the office this year. Iāve noticed a lot of bickering and ruffled feathers. Everyone is rubbing each other the wrong wayāeven the people who used to work well together!
I keep hearing about more and more of these incidents lately. Itās frustrating but, honestly, I donāt really want to know. I donāt have the head space right now to deal with these thingsāas long as everyone gets their jobs done, Iām good. I donāt need to hear about itātheyāre all adults! They can work it out amongst each other! They need to figure it out, and just focus on Ā getting their work done! But the problem is, there seem to be a couple of people whose performance has been consistently spiraling.
Cass, for example, is one person who just doesnāt seem to have bounced back from whatever it is thatās been preoccupying her. Itās been a while now and Iām noticing that she has used every possible excuse and quoted all possible policies to justify working from home. It started with some personal dilemmaāwhich I donāt even remember nowāand it is just one excuse after the other.
Sheās missed being at crucial meetings with clients and the quality of her work just keeps declining. Twice I had to pull in others on the team at the last minute to replace her at meetings, and Iāve also had to reassign some of her tasks to others at the eleventh hour. Maybe they werenāt happy about that, but what else was I supposed to do? I had to find a quick solution! This situation with Cass is becoming a thorn in everyoneās sides. Now I have people complaining that her work is being dumped on them. Or that the work-from-home policy is not applied equally or fairly.
I donāt think I get itāI thought I was doing them a favor by giving them this extra work. Bail, for exampleāheās the best one on my team. I thought he would be up for the challenge! And so would others! Why are they so resentful? I donāt understand! All of this couldnāt have been happening at a worse time. Iām now responsible for a critical new project. If we want to get it off the ground as per schedule, my team is going to have to make some significant changes to their work-from-home schedule.
I need all hands on deck, so theyāve got to be willing to change their work-from-home schedules. In fact, I figure they can temporarily say goodbye to hybrid work because I need them all at the office at least 4 days a week. Itās just a temporary arrangement! Things can go back to how they were after we get the project off the ground. We should all be on the same page, right? I am not sure I want to be the bad guy. What if they launch some kind of complaint against me? But then, what else am I supposed to doāI have to deliver this project on time! I donāt want to make things worse. But at the same time, I know I need to do something!
I guess Iām really worried about how all of this will reflect on me in my performance reviewāespecially with the organizational review also happening. Can I take such a risk? Itās a tough spot to be in. I hope I find a solution soon.
Our office noticed a concerning trend where staff in supervisory roles appear unwilling to manage complex situations, make hard decisions, and engage in difficult conversations. This reluctance could be due to concerns of being viewed as inflexible or indifferent. It may be a pertinent concern, since it appears contrary to the values of flexibility and accommodation advocated by ADB in pre- and post-pandemic times.
However, ADBās Hybrid Work Principles state that in situations where activities are best performed face-to-face, or when business or client needs prevail, or to perform other activities that cannot sustainably be done virtually, staff are required to come to the office. We understand that supervisors have clear business mandates and crucial targets to meet, however, avoidance may worsen certain situations, and is not a solution.Ā
Furthermore, some supervisors are justifying their inaction or hesitation as fear of being reported by their team members. In some instances, they speak of being āpressuredā by staff who pose what feel like āveiled threatsā or use formal and informal grievance processes in a way that could be seen as subtle intimidation.
The Ombuds office has observed that supervisors and managers frequently blame the uncertainties associated with the organizational review and New Operating Model, as an additional excuse for avoiding difficult conversations at an already challenging time. The range of issues that supervisors and managers are hesitating to address varies from the minor or commonplace, to those that have potentially profound implications for the team and the organization.Ā
As the ombuds office, we cannot stress enough the importance of clear communication and what weād like to call āmanagerial confidenceā. Left unresolved, these issues unfortunately contribute directly to conflicts among the staff, and ultimately, have detrimental impacts on peopleās mental health and wellbeing.
The Ombuds office has also noted a direct connection between interpersonal conflicts and decline in staff morale. We have also observed a correlation between supervisors failing to address conflicts, and low staff morale. These observations are concerning and need to be addressed by the organization.
Supervisors need to firstly familiarize themselves with ADB policies and processes. They should also feel encouraged to have difficult conversations and make necessary decisions, while also being supported in their roles. Clear communication and effective conflict resolution mechanisms must be put in place to maintain a healthy work environment for the ADB community.Ā
So, if you are a supervisor or manager, please donāt hesitate to have those difficult conversations with your teams. They may feel uncomfortable but this is necessary for the health and success of your team and organization.Ā
