- EAN staff is available when our office is closed to help you manage personal crisis or traumatic events in the workplace. Call our office at 828-252-5725 and press ‘0’ to reach our crisis management team member by phone.
This is an ongoing content series on the current EAN website. We have set it up again here so you can continue to use it (if you like.)
Q, I provided elder care support to my mother for years. It was very stressful. Two of my employees are now in the same situation, and I can see their productivity slipping. I can refer them to the EAP, of course, but can I also give them advice? I am a “pro” at this whole issue.
A. If your employees’ performance is affected, it is appropriate to speak with each of them separately to address the decline and get it corrected. During these discussions, it’s likely they will share information about the difficult situation of taking care of an elderly parent. Your experience and any tips you can offer may prove invaluable, but you should also mention the EAP because of the abundance of resources the program may be able to offer. Offering a few tips from your experience is appropriate, and should not undermine use of the EAP, but what if their performance does not improve? In this case, follow up and reinforce the need to work with the EAP. Don’t ignore the lack of improved performance. If the situation gets worse, consult with the EAP if needed and arrange a formal referral. Although initially this problem appears straightforward, highly complex issues can still underlie the performance issues.
Q. There was a fire purposely set in our warehouse, but thankfully no one was injured. A few employees visited the EAP afterward because it was traumatic, and we think one of them might be the arsonist. Can we insist the EAP give us information to verify whether this is true?
A. Confidential laws and policy agreements that govern EAPs would preclude investigating or probing the program about its discussions with clients. Of course, your EAP would be required to properly disclose information to someone who was threatened in order to protect their life, stop child or elder abuse, or meet the requirements of other provisions specified by state law. The confidential nature of EAPs is damaged beyond repair when or if its confidential nature is ignored. These policy provisions were constructed prior to program inception. You should review them. You want employees, particularly the riskiest and most troubled workers, to readily seek help from the EAP to reduce risk and intervene in volatile problems. Remember, EAPs are ultimately programs of attraction. You do not want to undermine this dynamic and risk serious behavioral risk issues that would never be addressed otherwise. Confidentiality and the actual appearance of confidentiality are critical elements of the program’s sustainability and value.
Q. I am certain my employee can succeed, but he lacks confidence. What can I do as a supervisor to help him become more confident? The EAP would be completely unfamiliar with his job, so is a referral still appropriate if his uncertainty about how to perform his essential functions remains?
A. Although your employee’s confidence can be undermined by many factors, some of which you may be unable to identify or manage, there are a few steps you can take to help him acquire a better attitude and the performance to match. Be sure you have provided clear expectations about the job and the outcomes you expect. This is a key issue seen by EAPs when employees are referred for underperformance. Offer feedback on achievements because positive reinforcement increases confidence. Help the employee identify small, achievable goals. Confidence grows with each success. Also, consider training, independent problem-solving, and mentoring. One powerful confidence builder often overlooked by supervisors is recognizing the effort employees expend in attempting to achieve goals. So, even when immediate successes are not visible, effort expended will reinforce confidence for another try. Let your employee know that building confidence is a process, a journey of sorts, and results are not instantaneous. Regarding the EAP, make a referral if confidence-building tips don’t work, but speak with the EAP first to share a fuller picture of the employee’s issues.
Q. My employee was once highly motivated—a real go-getter—but recently his energy seems to be gone. Should I explore this problem with him, or is it something I should not dive into and instead refer him to the EAP?
A. Ask your employee where his motivation has gone. See if there are practical reasons for it related to the job. Listen carefully for clues that point to potential solutions. For example, what goals is this employee working toward? Consider exciting new work goals to see if that rekindles his motivation. One common reason for demotivation is boredom. If this is it, come to an agreement on some challenging and interesting tasks that align with the employee’s skills and interests. Does your employee work with a team? Isolation is a frequent motivation killer. If not, finding a way to assemble a team experience can help your employees discover motivation that results from workers who synergize. Encourage an EAP referral if your conversations do not prove fruitful.
Q. I referred two employees to the EAP because they experience frequent conflicts. I have not threatened disciplinary action and instead have asked that they be adults and resolve their issues, but it is not working. Am I doing anything wrong with this situation?
A. Asking employees to resolve differences can be difficult because neither party will initiate taking a constructive path to end the conflict. It takes a third party to help harmonize the workers. The EAP is a good choice for this help. Start with a private conversation with each employee separately. Listen actively to their perspectives. Empathize, and don’t judge either worker at this stage. Clearly communicate your expectations for professional behavior, respect, and mutual cooperation. Prior to a formal referral, discuss your impressions with the EAP and refer the employees. Each should sign a release. Schedule regular follow-up meetings with the employees to monitor their progress. Address any new issues immediately if they arise. Keep a record of the conflict and your efforts to resolve it. Let employees know you are doing so. This sends a message that the manager is serious about ending the conflict one way or another, and in turn, this motivates the employees to seek resolution and stay motivated to remain cooperative.
Q. The literature often uses the word “loyal” when describing valued employees. I want employees to work hard, show respect, and give their best to the company, but to me as a supervisor, loyalty seems a little strong, like “blind allegiance.” Can you clarify this term?
A. Loyalty implies that your employee exhibits a strong sense of commitment, trust, or allegiance to you as their supervisor. Disloyal employees will typically experience more disagreements with their supervisor, perceive a lack of support or fairness in the workplace, and show strained communication with their supervisor. Like someone tending a garden, supervisors must constantly be on the move, addressing conflicts and concerns among workers. Doing so helps produce loyal workers. Your employees will feel a sense of loyalty if you remain transparent and open with information, offer support and recognition, set a positive example in your work style that they can follow, resolve conflicts, listen, give them feedback, and show a genuine interest in their lives. Demonstrated d is loyalty is often the sign of a troubled employee. Work with your EAP to either help the employee or analyze what more you can do to improve your supervision style to nurture the loyalty you need.
Q. A tragic incident occurred at work, and I felt caught off guard because employees immediately looked to me for direction and leadership. Frankly, I was at a loss to know where to begin. I felt I let folks down. How can supervisors improve their ability to respond to a crisis?
A. Take proactive steps to build your crisis management know-how. For less than $10, you can take a course online from a website like Udemy.com. They have supervisor courses in crisis management that address your issues of concern. Speak to your HR advisor. Discover any existing crisis or incident protocols. Be well versed in these emergency response procedures (evacuation, shelter-in-place protocols, and first aid). Schedule a periodic review of procedures. As a rule, be calm and demonstrate resilience in a crisis. Immediately establish regular communication channels, like group meetings, emails, or instant messages, to keep everyone updated. Don’t become dictatorial in a crisis, but rely on the experience and common sense of an assembled team to help address issues. Prioritize the well-being of employees, and reinforce use of the EAP. Ask about the EAP’s crisis management support capabilities. Remember, no one can anticipate every possible disruption, but taking proactive steps can make you better prepared to face them.
Q. I think my employees have good stress management skills. I don’t detect any signs or symptoms of excessive workloads. I figure if they don’t speak up, it is safe to say that work to say that work distribution is about right. Correct?
A. There are reasons an employee might not choose to complain about their workload. However, engaging with employees, asking questions, and listening carefully will help you discover those workers who are in distress. An employee might worry that expressing concerns about the workload could lead to negative consequences, such as being seen as incapable of handling the work. Pressure to conform to this perceived norm and avoid standing out might keep them mum. Also, a strong desire to please the supervisor or maintain a positive image within the team could explain not speaking up. Job security concerns are another issue if the employee believes the supervisor or maintain a positive image within the team could explain not speaking up. Job security concerns are another issue if the employee believes complaining would make him or her appear expendable. Another reason to engage with workers is to be able to spot performance issues that could be related to problems like depression, stress, anxiety, and conflict. These can be “masked,” which means you don’t see the symptoms.
Q. What are some tips for building relationships with employees in the workplace with the goal of understanding their needs and strengths and detecting issues and problems (even personal problems) earlier?
A. There are many ways to get to know your employees. 1) Make it OK for employees to meet you for conversations, and establish safe spaces so they can share with you privately what’s important. 2) A few times a year, schedule regular meetings for a few minutes one-on-one to discuss workload and challenges. 3) Do not discuss just work. Show real concern for their well-being by expressing interest in their work life and happiness on the job. 4) Share and disclose some of your own work struggles in your career history so employees see the “real you.” This will make you relatable, which is a powerful relationship-building dynamic that builds loyalty. 5) Be quicker to understand and learn employees’ perspectives rather than make immediate judgment calls about their work, ideas, and problems. 6) Offer feedback and praise. This will cause them to speak up sooner about challenges before they become larger problems.
Q. Is there a way to be supportive yet confrontational with my supervisor in an effort to get him coaching help for communication and style issues affecting me and my supervisor peers? We believe everyone would be happier and far less stressed if he used the EAP for this sort of assistance.
A. Being assertive with your supervisor requires a few preparatory steps, and you should consider role-playing the following with the EAP. Be sure to choose a private, respectful, and confidential tone when you meet with your boss. Talk about yourself first. Express your commitment to the team’s success and that you want to address a concern affecting the work environment. Then share very specific behaviors/actions that are causing distress. Be sure the examples are “observable,” “date-specific” behaviors. State the impact on the team or your work group. Avoid “you” statements that can be perceived as blame. Next, express concern for your boss’s well-being, such as, “It seems there’s been a lot of pressure on you lately.” Connect this to asking whether you or the team can do something to alleviate stress or take pressure off in some way. Propose using the EAP to improve the work situation and help the team. Listen to the response. Your boss may decide to seek assistance but never let you know it.
