Any advice on how to get employees to do their job and listen to and respect a new dept. head who comes in, without having to resort to being a b*tch about it and/or writing people up?
I guess i've been far too nice to people because it's obvious that to some people, they don't see me as their boss and instead see me as a joke.
Some people view niceness as a sign of weakness/opportunity to exploit, unfortunately. That's why if you're a department head, you gotta keep a degree of "distance" from the employees that work under you. It doesn't mean you have to be a tyrant or be cold towards them, but if your employees start seeing you as their "buddy" or they see you as being "on the same level as them" especially if you spend time with them outside of work, they're going to not see you so much as their "boss" but as their pal, and may consciously or subconsciously try to get away with more stuff because of it.
You have to be fair, but firm. If an employee isn't doing his or her job properly, you need to pull that employee aside and point out what he or she needs to improve on. Explain that you, and the company, have expectations and goals that need to be met, and that if you don't see an effort to improve, you're going to have to do a Constructive Advice or Significant Incident Report (or whatever the paperwork is called at your store) on him/her.
It will take time. You have to earn others' respect, it's not just given. All they have to do is follow your instructions, they don't have to like or respect you. For them to do that, it takes about a year of working with them and seeing them often. You can't just walk in and start expecting their loyalty and respect within 1 week, 3 weeks, or 6 months. I've noticed clerks and department heads see things very differently. Clerks don't have to worry about the same things that you do, all they want to do is their job in the most simplest and easiest explained methods possible. Everything else that you are worried about does not register in their minds, it's important to not forget that. Ordering, sales plans, shrink, scheduling, department readiness, etc. all things that stress you out. Take it easy on them. The first few months of learning your new coworkers is the funnest, after the novelty wears off, it gets tiresome.
bakery, and actually, i really do like my new group of people.
i guess i'm just a little jaded right now because of a conversation i had with one of them yesterday. in such a condescending tone he basically told me how i need to tell the others that they need to listen and that they are the ones who don't respect me... when in reality it sounded more like projection and that he was the one who doesn't respect me. before this i thought he was a pretty good employee (despite what others have told me).
I transferred to a new store and I have no trust with this store.The managers and bookkeepers keep trying to find several ways to get me written up.I've started requesting a union rep if I get called to the office or if they force paperwork in my face I am innocent to.You have rights.Use your wine garten rights.Don't let management walk all over you.You can not show compassion in grocery stores.Or you will loose every case.Crack the whip and become your own personal lawyer.
