Lack of Planning on Your Part Does Not Constitute an Emergency on My Part
Just a quick post for those of my readers who are also managers.
On Friday, I was walking down the hall in my office building and overheard the conversation between two women. They worked for another company on the same floor; however, their conversation is one I have heard so many times.
“He assigned this work this morning,” the one woman told the other. “And then he told me it is due this afternoon.”
“He does that all the time. It is always dumped on our laps at the last moment,” commented the other.
They were commiserating. Their boss demonstrated a lack of planning. Now the work may have been dumped on him by his manager. And, his boss’s boss may have had it dumped on her lap the night before.
Often the lack of planning can be traced all the way to the top.
Management demonstrates the lack of planning and employees hate it. Most of the managers who get the late request hate it as well. By the time it is delegated to the person who is going to do the work, the damage is done.
These women were not only displeased with this request, but went on to gossip about other times this manager had dumped work on them at the last minute. The lack of trust and respect that these women had for this manager was quite evident. What they did not understand was that their manager was just a victim of being poorly managed himself.
Let’s consider the employees.
Are they motivated to do a good job?
Are they feeling like they are contributing something?
Do they feel management knows what they are doing?
Are they happy employees?
Get the picture?
We have all heard the saying:
“Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
Managers, read and heed the warning. If we want to lose our credibility, we should keep treating our employees this way.
Comment by Jane
I deal with this everyday, not sure if it’s my manager or his manager, or his manager, and we can go up the chain. Wouldn’t it be best for a manager to explain to his employees that it was just dumped on his lap and that’s the reason it has to be done yesterday? After being given a lot of work to do and to have finished quickly, I said to my boss that I have no idea how I could get it all done. His reply was, overtime. I said that when I’m given work that needs to be finished two days ago, I have a real problem working overtime. And told him, no I don’t work that way. He just smiled. Your thoughts of what I might be able to do about all of this?
Comment by ericboehme
Well, Jane, the response “overtime” is so typical. I assume he meant overtime and no pay. If my assumption is correct (and even if it is not) your response was excellent “you don’t work that way.” Any you should never work that way. I think you did exactly what you should. You were honest with your boss and you asked for his help. His answer was stupid and you told him where you stood.
That is all that you can do.
If it was really needed two days prior and things were not falling apart because they still weren’t done, then why can’t it wait another two days?
It is obviously NOT a real emergency. Most of the time these requests are perceived to be emergencies, but they are not. It is just a result of poor planning and leadership.
Eric