Sample the Book
Taming the Hamster
A Practical Guide to Supervision/Management
When we are asked about supervision/leadership, we are usually told that we must care about the staff, communicate well, etc. But rarely are you told what actions will achieve this. One of the 8 elements of engagement is “Being concerned about the staff as people, with an interest in their lives and family”. The following is taken directly from Taming the Hamster, and is a practical example of a means for achieving this when addressing an employee who was late for work this day. Prior to this excerpt, the book takes the supervisor through the process of preparing for the meeting.
“Having completed these preparatory steps, you would approach the employee to talk with them about it. Keep in mind that you are looking to learn what occurred that caused this problem for him.
Supervisor: I noticed you were a bit late getting into the office today. I hope nothing bad happened on the way in.
(Note that one could start the conversation off with only the first sentence. I always include something like the second sentence as I am concerned about them and anything that may have gone wrong. While I do genuinely have the concern, even if I didn’t, including the second sentence would certainly demonstrate to the person that I am not attacking them.)
Constable: I am so sorry. My car broke down on the way in and I had to hitch-hike to get here. I was lucky that someone stopped and gave me a lift and dropped me off nearby here so it wasn’t too much of a walk to make it in. I am so sorry.
Supervisor: That’s OK. It sounds like the circumstances were unavoidable and you did your best to get here on time.
(You could stop the conversation at this point as you know why he was late, and it is apparent that the person is feeling bad about it. However, you want to ensure they know what the expected performance is in such situations. They did everything right expect report to you to tell you what happened, so you will follow up with that.)
Supervisor: Anytime you are late, just be sure to see me as soon as you arrive to let me know as I am your direct supervisor.
(Notice how the supervisor has given a clear direction to the employee. There is no question what the expectations are yet the expectation has not been delivered in a manner that is threatening.)
Constable: Yeah, I guess I should have. I wanted to get to work right away so I didn’t take the time to tell you first, I was going to at coffee. I wasn’t trying to get away with it.
Supervisor: I know you weren’t trying to get away with anything. You’re still fairly new here so I just want you to know what the protocol is here.
(You could stop the conversation here, but I feel you need to address the big situation – his car broke down. How will he get home? How will he get to work tomorrow? Does he have the means to get it repaired? You should be thinking about this as you want the person to get to work on time each day and to be in a good state of mind while at work, hence you follow up on this.)”
The sample script then continues the conversation addressing the car itself and the transportation question. Note that this is an example of an employee having erred (they were late) and you have not only addressed the issue, given instruction on what to do next time if it occurs, and also reached out to assist the employee. I feel this action would qualify as demonstrating that you care about the employee as a person.
Sample the Book
Taming the Hamster
A Practical Guide to Supervision/Management
When we are asked about supervision/leadership, we are usually told that we must care about the staff, communicate well, etc. But rarely are you told what actions will achieve this. One of the 8 elements of engagement is “Being concerned about the staff as people, with an interest in their lives and family”. The following is taken directly from Taming the Hamster, and is a practical example of a means for achieving this when addressing an employee who was late for work this day. Prior to this excerpt, the book takes the supervisor through the process of preparing for the meeting.
“Having completed these preparatory steps, you would approach the employee to talk with them about it. Keep in mind that you are looking to learn what occurred that caused this problem for him.
Supervisor: I noticed you were a bit late getting into the office today. I hope nothing bad happened on the way in.
(Note that one could start the conversation off with only the first sentence. I always include something like the second sentence as I am concerned about them and anything that may have gone wrong. While I do genuinely have the concern, even if I didn’t, including the second sentence would certainly demonstrate to the person that I am not attacking them.)
Constable: I am so sorry. My car broke down on the way in and I had to hitch-hike to get here. I was lucky that someone stopped and gave me a lift and dropped me off nearby here so it wasn’t too much of a walk to make it in. I am so sorry.
Supervisor: That’s OK. It sounds like the circumstances were unavoidable and you did your best to get here on time.
(You could stop the conversation at this point as you know why he was late, and it is apparent that the person is feeling bad about it. However, you want to ensure they know what the expected performance is in such situations. They did everything right expect report to you to tell you what happened, so you will follow up with that.)
Supervisor: Anytime you are late, just be sure to see me as soon as you arrive to let me know as I am your direct supervisor.
(Notice how the supervisor has given a clear direction to the employee. There is no question what the expectations are yet the expectation has not been delivered in a manner that is threatening.)
Constable: Yeah, I guess I should have. I wanted to get to work right away so I didn’t take the time to tell you first, I was going to at coffee. I wasn’t trying to get away with it.
Supervisor: I know you weren’t trying to get away with anything. You’re still fairly new here so I just want you to know what the protocol is here.
(You could stop the conversation here, but I feel you need to address the big situation – his car broke down. How will he get home? How will he get to work tomorrow? Does he have the means to get it repaired? You should be thinking about this as you want the person to get to work on time each day and to be in a good state of mind while at work, hence you follow up on this.)”
The sample script then continues the conversation addressing the car itself and the transportation question. Note that this is an example of an employee having erred (they were late) and you have not only addressed the issue, given instruction on what to do next time if it occurs, and also reached out to assist the employee. I feel this action would qualify as demonstrating that you care about the employee as a person.