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Don’t Undercut Your Managers

When Josh agreed to take over a temporary supervisory position, the department head told him to lean on a star salesman to submit his expense reports on time. The salesman was notoriously late, and the finance office would complain to the department head. The same week Josh got his marching orders, he called the salesman and urged him to make every effort to comply. The day before the expenses were due he phoned him again and reminded him of the deadline. The salesman hung up the phone in a huff and complained to the boss that Josh was too pushy. The boss told Josh to ease up. Josh gave up.

Your blessing is the best thing your managers have going into a conversation with a problem worker. If the problem employee senses a rupture in your unity, he or she will try to capitalize on that. When you undercut your managers, you simply enable difficult employees.