Doing the happy dance, slacker supervisor gone

[haapai]

He transferred out ten days ago. His replacement has transformed the department. I didn't even work with the guy but his leaving has turned my work life and possibly my home life around.

The guy smirked at anyone who worked. He made you feel like a chump for even trying. His crew did almost nothing but since what they didn't do got added to the work of the next shift, that shift looked like mud too. He got away with this for almost five years.

Everyone in the department is walking around in a state of delighted shock. We're happy to see the changes but talking about the changes is dicey. In order to give the new guy props, we have to admit just how bad things were and none of us really want that performance to become a benchmark.

Any advice on how to handle the situation?

[zibazinski]

VERY tactfully. I remember when my dept head was in the hospital for a week. We all did the happy dance because he was such a P***K and someone from personnel came out with 2 of his minions and promised us it was going to be so much better and he was going to be replaced blah, blah, blah. Guess what? Didn't happen because personnel dude was buddy with dept head and ratted us all out so it was worse when he got back. He actually laughed at out stupidity of thinking he could actually be let go or transferred. Point is, you never know how connected anyone is so fly low.

[sheilaincali]

I agree with zibazinski- be as diplomatic and pc as possible. You just never know what the blow back could be if you truly voiced your opinion. It took me a few years to realize this myself but I tell my 12 year old every day "don't say anything about someone that you wouldn't say to their face" because eventually it will come back around to bite you in the ass.

If "he got away with it for 5 years" then the chances of people above him knowing what was going on increases. Speaking out too much could make them look bad for not stepping in and making the change sooner.

[haapai]

He was transferred to another worksite, so my fears of his return are minimal. Even if somebody dropped a pallet on the replacement's head, I don't think he'd be allowed back in the store. The new store director wanted him gone. His co-manager wanted him gone. Both third shift managers wanted him gone. The guy was so toxic that I think that those three would volunteer to work an extra 20 hours a week apiece just to keep the guy from getting a toe back in the door.

On the other hand, I'm doing most of my dancing at home. At work, I just smile at all the piles of work that are no longer waiting for me. I'm also examining myself for bad habits. I know that I adapted some rotten habits and attitudes under that guy's miasma and I'm trying to shed them PDQ.

I stock shelves for a living and this guy had an almost old-world disdain for people who worked with their hands. He did a lot of damage. I think that some of the people who worked directly under him are not going to adapt fast enough.

[cronewitch]

If I were in your situation I would like you examine my work ethic first and correct it if needed. Then I would be a cheer leader for the hard workers, say nothing to or about the slackers but admire out loud those that work hard. A quiet word saying you notice how nice their work looks or how much they got done but not compared to others just they are good. Make them happy to see you because you smile and seem cheerful not critical, bring home baked cookies every couple of months or pick up doughnuts if you are into that sort of thing. Try not to criticize the missing person or the slackers.

[haapai]

If "he got away with it for 5 years" then the chances of people above him knowing what was going on increases. Speaking out too much could make them look bad for not stepping in and making the change sooner.

Thank you! I needed this warning. This guy's direct supervisor found him a useful foil to her own shortcomings. She now has exactly a year to come up to snuff (we do January reshuffles) and I doubt that she can do it. Towards the end of that period, she will be as dangerous as a wounded elephant.

Luckily, I don't work with her or even at the same time.

[zibazinski]

It's really sad how one employee can make life so miserable for others. I still remember how many good employees left/transferred to get away from my dept head. Too many.

[wodehouse]

ahh, I see, so it's not a generational thing of "the slacker" ("slacker", "baby boomer", "X", "Y", etc) but his attitude.

[zibazinski]

Chew fine and spit careful.

[Urban Chicago]

I agree that you should be quiet. While all those other dept heads and such are saying they wanted him gone, you never know if this is lip service and they were actually friends, etc...

Not to mention, people will note how you say things and assume you talk about them the same way when they're not around.

[Abby Normal]

I've been in this exact position- except I was the one filing the position. While everyone was so glad she was gone, we had to be very careful for political reasons. It wasn't until she was gone for over a year that the owner came in and admitted how much better things were running and that he didn't know why he kept her around for so long. High praise coming from him.

I'd definitely recommend celebrating quietly. But keep a list of things that you think would make things even better, so that if the new manager asks, you have ideas. But never throw the old manager under the bus.

[thyme4change]

We had a bad manager leave recently, and it was great for a couple of months - and the atmosphere is still better, but the business is still lackluster. Now we have to face the reality that she was a bad leader, but the staff isn't that great either. So, don't put all the happy eggs in one basket. There may be a lot more changes coming. Best thing to do is to keep your head down and don't give anyone a reason to think you are part of the problem.

[justwhoever]

Oh my. How I wish that were me. I work with 2 that make the day horrible. Well really it's 3. 1 will be off work for 2-3 months(maybe longer) and it's already somewhat better.

Go to work. Smile. Get your job done. Say nothing to know one. I have come to believe everyone is two-faced and will throw you under the bus if given the chance.

I'm hoping that my work place the biggest change will be the sky is never longer falling.

[sheilaincali]

We have one here that we would all benefit from not having around. Sadly one of them is the boss' son so he isn't going anywhere. Completely freaking waste of space. In the 2 years he has been here morale is in the toilet, production is the lowest it's been in 10 years, the level of quality is embarrassing. He harasses the employees, calls them names, screams, shoves, etc. But we are stuck with him.
Even more embarrassing is that the idiot is my brother! Thankfully about 75% of my job is for a different company that our dad owns so I don't cross paths with the moron too often.

[Deleted]

It's really sad someone as crappy as Old Boss is allowed to stay in the company when there are so many good people looking for work. A friend just lost an opportunity because the position involved supervising an older woman who was pretty incompetent and they felt that the other candidate (older and male, while my friend was female and younger than the woman) would be better-received. Why they didn't just fire the incompetent employee I don't know. And yes, we know it's discrimination, but raising a stink wouldn't gain my friend anything and would betray the contact who told her the truth.

Anyway, to the OP- there's nothing to stop you from telling New Boss how much you like this or that thing that they're doing differently now, or how much you like a new project, etc. No comparison with life before New Boss- just sincere positive feedback on the changes.

[haapai]

Actually, there is something stopping me. I don't actually work with this guy or cross paths with him. The extra production since he came on board is stunning. Not having to clean up mountains of substandard, half-assed, and simply "not done" work makes our lives a whole lot easier.

The tricky part is that we've been spending about a third of our time cleaning up after second shift and have completely lost track of what our jobs actually are.

We're going to have to make good use of the extra yardage and boost our standards very quickly.

[zibazinski]

Congrats for it working out for you, though. Most just end up suffering under some "ding dong!!!"

[thyme4change]

sheilaincal - LOL

[haapai]

I'm pretty sure the folks that worked directly under the ding-dong are still suffering. Apparently, the new boss told them pretty directly that they had been doing nothing and that was going to change. One of them protested, claiming that the new boss had no right to say that to them, and spent a considerable amount of time in the office as a result.

After several years of spending most of their time chatting and avoiding actual work, it's got to be a tough transition. A bad boss can make you a bad worker.

[zibazinski]

Uh, oh, I'd say that employee who was dumb enough to voice their objection to the new supervisor is going to join the ranks of the unemployed pretty soon.

[haapai]

Not likely. He or she is unionized. Unless there is a laying on of hands or a stint in the poky, getting rid of this person would take a very long time.

In some unionized workplaces, not a day goes by without being a witness to something that would cause an at-will employee to be pounding pavement.

[sheilaincali]

Thyme: Oh how I wish I was kidding. I keep asking my dad to admit to one of us being adopted.

[busymom]

Congrats Haapai! It's gotta feel great going in to work now? By the way, did you find out where the slacker is working now? Enjoy your freedom, & kudos for paying attention to your own work ethic!

[8 Bit WWBG]

I agree you have to be very careful. We had a manager retire recently who I've often said "isn't fit to run the snack bar" or "is a complete bone head" and who was well disliked for throwing childish tantrums.

However, the fact that he was always able to transfer between different top level positions, leave and come back, and get away with nonsense suggests to me that he had enough allies to stay safe, and he still has his fanboys who will defend his memory.

[jospaced]

Jan 21, 2011 6:17:29 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

The incompetents who stay and stay are the most dangerous people of all. Perhaps they have the polaroids, or are someone's relative or mistress. Beware, beware.

So very true. I have been the victim of the "mistress" in two jobs. Totally incompetent women as far as work, must have been much better in other arenas.

[thyme4change]

Also, remember, what looks like incompetence from one angle may (might, not always) mean that the person is very good at something the boss values. That doesn't mean sex - but sometimes mid-level management does stuff for upper management that others never see. I've stepped in that bear trap several times. I was thinking that some manager must have had dirty photos or something, because they were a horrible manager. Come to find out that they streamlined some process that I never knew about and saved the company $1.5M per year. That added a full percentage point to EBIT. But, yes, that manager treated her employees like dirt. Her boss didn't care. That was my most glaring and regretful mistake. But, I've made others. Sometimes you just don't know everything. Sometimes it is actual value to the company, not call-girl-status, that keeps people in their job.