How to Supervise People Who can’t Separate Personal Problems from their Work * Incedo Group

How to Supervise People Who can’t Separate Personal Problems from their Work

As a manager, your job description often goes beyond professional guidance. There will be times when you’ll need to provide a helping hand, or even a shoulder to cry on for some employees. Not every employee can separate between work and personal life, so you have to be prepared for these situations.

Most of the time, people come to work carrying the troubles of their personal life— family problems, financial concerns, and personal worries. While some may want to keep it to themselves, others would appreciate a listening ear to unload their troubles. And often, the manager is the most able person to do this. Knowing how to supervise people in and out of the office will help you deal with situations like this.

While there may be few people capable of doing this, managers must be forewarned that there are those who will try to manipulate you with their sad stories. Hence, learning how to supervise people includes knowing how to differentiate those who really need help from those who’re just faking it.

When this happens to you, and it will, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

It’s totally fine to show genuine concern over an employee’s personal problem. When someone needs a person to talk to, be ready to drop what you are doing to listen. Your employees will remember this.

Don’t try to solve their problem or find the solutions for them. This is not how to supervise people. It’s enough that you listened sincerely and showed concern, now it’s time to point them to the right person or direction. Refer them to the appropriate company representative who can provide the support they need, such as employee engagement services, human resources for question on health insurance. If the company does not have one, make sure they get the appropriate outside help.

Allow the person temporary time-flex, so he can seek the mental or physiological support he needs. Just be watchful that this does not go out of hand and turn into a normal set up.

Personal problems must not be an excuse for chronic tardiness and poor performance. Learning how to supervise people includes developing a firm hand when it comes to decisions. You are not helping the person if you allow him to use his personal issues to stop him from growing professionally. When you do this, make sure the staff knows that you sincerely sympathize and understand his personal problems, but emphasize that it should be “business as usual” for everyone.

The moment you set a double standard for this one person because of his “personal problems,” other staff will lose their trust and respect for you as the manager. In learning how to supervise people responsibly, you need to set a single standard for all employees to follow when dealing with situations like this.

There is no question that managers should be ready to support their employees all the time, whether professionally or personally. Making time to listen to their problems and helping them get the support they need are important. However, managers must be very careful that these people do not begin to use their personal issues as habitual excuse for missing deadlines and turning in poorly done work.

There’s no one-size fits all approach when it comes to supervising people, but these tips could serve as a quick guide for such instances.