Article Abstract:
Employees who have reached career plateaus can become frustrated, depressed and unproductive. Managers who supervise plateaued workers can alleviate this problem by being candid about promotion ceilings in the company and by restructuring the job to make it more challenging. The supervisor should discuss the nature of career plateaus with the worker; although it is an emotional issue for many people, plateaus, especially structural plateaus, are often created by impersonal forces beyond the worker's control and should not erode the worker's self-esteem. Managers can prevent content plateaus through lateral transfers and reassigning job duties. Giving feedback to employees about their performance (even negative feedback) makes people feel valued and useful. Managers should encourage initiative and discourage overworking, and give honest performance appraisals.
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Article Abstract:
Employers cannot rely solely on employee assistance programs to deal with the workplace effects of employees' personal problems. Managers and first-line supervisors must be alert to changes in work habits or personal behavior. Management is entitled to employee punctuality, respect for authority, cooperation in getting the job done, and an honest day's work for the pay offered. Three methods for coping with evidence of problem performance are: the indirect approach, direct confrontation, and the more desirable joint problem-solving approach. Any employee counseling effort should be characterized by genuineness, accurate empathy, and nonpossessive warmth. The employee counseling process is described in detail and a list of 20 personnel management reminders presented.
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Article Abstract:
Employees typically want to perform well, support supervisors, and promote organizational success, but they do not always know what is expected of them, what supervisors needs and priorities are, or what norms and values the organization holds. A 'developmental training program' is described which was used in a division of a major research and development laboratory to help link employee and organizational goals. Program features included: division leader and supervisor input and involvement, use of an individual development model and plan, experiential design, and follow-up. Management succeeded in getting employees to take responsibility for their own career development, while supervisors also became involved in setting and planning career goals for employees.
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