How does one become a good master of their employees who are weak minded and useless?

Question

I master 22 employees now and half of them are useless while the other half are stellar and are deserving for higher promotions which I mentor and guide them to future advancement. How can I tactfully motivate the weak and useless people who are sloths and don't put in the same amount of effort my strong subordinates put in? I used all the tricks in the book as I have been a manager for over 10 years and have never experienced the problems I have with my current work crew. They just seem to be beyond reform...

Answer 1

When we as co-workers were asked to evaluate each other for our reviews I felt many of the problems you mentioned got better- Not all gone but I could see a difference- The summary for each person we worked with had to include what we thought were strong points and things that could be improved upon...
When the problem employees see that the team is responsible for raises and promotions and reviews even in this small way They tend to try to be part of the team better

Also use the 1, 2 3 strikes you're out method. 1 warning- 2 written documented warning, 3, probation, or GONE! You may have to bite the bullet and get rid of your worse productive people to show as an aexample you are cracking down and setting boundaries.... Good luck- Remember there are always people looking for jobs and NO one is indispensible- you must enforce this attitude and follow through with your policies!

It sounds as if you have employees who don't care or don't believe it matters - SHow them it does! Good luck-

Also do you have TEAM meetings at least once a month? give credit to those who present ideas to make the department run smoother- trouble shoot problems and suggestions that promote team work-

Answer 2

Lead by example and develop loyalty. If they're idiots, establishing their loyalty to you is the only thing that will keep them honest and working. To do this, you must treat them very well, even if you are not 100% sincere. Always tell them positive things about themselves and always handle their screw-ups in a non-threatening way. This will pay off for you. An employee who'll back you completely is at least honest and will try and do well even if he's an idiot. Good luck.

Answer 3

Gosh! what country are you in?
No country that I know of has "masters" as managers in their companies - not a single one!
I've always found that new employees that you work with will soon work well on their own and are far more likely to do a good job. Every person works better if they are respected as individuals first.
Your attitude is not one to succeed no matter what you are telling us! I would suggest you terminate yourself and allow another more suited person to have your job!

Answer 4

wow - you've got a tough one there! From time to time I will see an employment ad in the classifieds that simply says "looking for 10 people who work hard to replace 10 people who don't" and it leaves a phone number.

You basically need to do one of two things. Look for a different job, or fire the "10 who don't" and find 10 who will. Good luck.

Answer 5

Master? how about manage or manager? Do you live now or in the times of British imperial occupation? If your employees to not have what you need, you have two choices, either you train them by showing them how or you simply fire them and do the work yourself; Sir Master!

Answer 6

find ur inspiration...there is a pbs special titled "the hobart shakespeareans" it's about a teacher that makes his students read shakespeare aloud to the whole class. well it's not just about that it's very moving and i found it inspirational. Generating motivation from ur crew will be a hardship no doubt dude... sometimes u have to set an example urself, or make an example of someone.

Answer 7

Start by getting rid of that master crap. They probably despise your arrogance and attitude pf supremacy. Try using less "tricks in the book" and use common sense. Weak and useless? Wow, that's harsh. It's doubtful they have no respect for you whatsoever. After hearing that, I certainly don't.

Answer 8

The bad news is you're probably going to make them hate you. Watch everything they do, supervise the work they're producing and scrutinize it for perfection. Don't let them get away with anything, or at least make it seem like they won't get away with anything. When you see performance improve, lighten up a little.

Answer 9

A bad manager is a bully! Try reading the U S News!

Bad News for Bullies
By David Gergen

6/19/06

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Have you ever worked for a tyrant? If not, count yourself lucky because most people have at one time or another--no less than 4 out of 5 employees, according to a study by Wayne State University. Surveys also find that of all the complaints people have about their work, from low pay to long hours, the biggest single one is that of the bully boss. And if anything, there are signs that the practice of tormenting employees is rising in the "new economy," as companies face stiffer competition and CEOs turn over faster, developing few personal bonds with people around them.

Yet there is a distinctly different form of leadership that has arisen in recent years, represented by Bill Thomas, the cofounder of Eden Alternative and the man portrayed in the accompanying pages of this issue as one of America's emerging leaders, chosen by a national panel. Thomas is a living symbol of what is called the "servant leader."

In the burgeoning literature about how best to lead, Robert K. Greenleaf famously coined that phrase in an essay titled "The Servant as Leader." In the years since, Greenleaf's ideas have drawn a sizable following, and their echoes have appeared in popular leadership books by Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Max DePree, and others.

Greenleaf argues that too many leaders in the past have been driven by a need for power or authority. They have set up hierarchical systems and, for a long while, could achieve results. Today, however, people no longer grant automatic deference to a leader and seek instead less coercive, more creative relationships. "A new moral principle is emerging," writes Greenleaf, in which followers will "respond only to individuals who are chosen as leaders because they are proven and trusted as servants."

A leader of leaders. The idea has ancient roots. Current literature on servant leadership points out that Christ taught his disciples that in order to lead, they must "wash one another's feet," that they must learn to serve each other, and that many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Greenleaf adds that in the early days of the republic, leaders like George Washington signed their letters, "Your most humble and obedient servant."

Pure notions of "servant leadership" have, of course, a utopian ring. No one can make it to the executive suites of a Fortune 500 company or climb the slippery pole of politics who lacks personal drive and is purely selfless. Washington himself started out, as James MacGregor Burns has written, with "fierce ambition." In the modern organizations of today, leaders must also have a streak of toughness, even ruthlessness.

Even so, the idea is taking hold in high-performing organizations that the leader's role has changed. Increasingly, the best leaders are those who don't order but persuade; don't dictate but draw out; don't squeeze but grow the people around them. They push power out of the front office, down into the organization, and become a leader of leaders. Most important, as Peter Drucker insisted, they understand that the people in an organization are its No. 1 asset.

In the 1980s, when most CEOs focused relentlessly on the bottom line, DePree, former chair of Herman Miller Inc., was famous for promoting instead a "covenant" with his employees. Leaders, he wrote in Leadership Is an Art, should give employees "space so that we can both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion." One of the foremost practitioners of servant-style leadership today is the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, who has made sure his employees have health insurance and work in a positive environment. Starbucks, as a result, has a strong brand following and is thriving.

At a time when young professionals are looking for a different set of values in work--studies show they're less interested in power and prestige than in positive relations with colleagues and interesting challenges--the bully may finally see his end. That can hardly come soon enough.


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Answer 10

The world needs ditch diggers too. When morale gets down, just fire all the unhappy people.