Topic: Sandy, our manager, is speaking to Kim, her employee, about the company dress code. Kim is a “serial offender” of the code. This conversation has occurred many times before. Other managers and supervisors at Sandy’s level do not enforce the code in the same way and some are in violation themselves.
Engage the employee
Ask questions as early as you can in the conversation to engage the employee in the problem-solving. The sooner the employee feels like he/she might have a “say” in the solution, the tone and tenor of the conversation shifts to something more positive and manageable.
Minimize the lecture
It is important to let the employee know how he/she is violating the policy, but avoid talking too much or giving the sense of “finger-wagging.” If you notice you have been talking for a long time, stop and find an open-ended question to ask.
Avoid the “personal taste” question
Engaging in a conversation of whether an article of clothing or manner of dress is of someone’s personal taste is a “quagmire.” We all have different tastes. Stick to the policy and the facts at hand.
Reinforce the policy
If there is a policy, remind the employee what that policy is and how it is being applied. Have a copy handy and ready to distribute to the employee.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
“There are policies and there are policies. But this one doesn’t seem to be consistently applied”
