Q.  Some employees do very well after referral to addiction treatment programs, but some do not.  They relapse, struggle, and eventually lose their jobs.  Are there “hopeless” cases?  How can supervisors intervene earlier or increase the likelihood of success for these employees?

A.  Within the recovering community of alcoholics and among treatment professionals, there are many stories of alcoholics who seemed unable to achieve abstinence.  In the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous, authors discuss the success of the 12 steps yet observe how some alcoholics seem almost “constitutionally” incapable of recovery.  Most treatment professionals would never use the word “hopeless” because so many examples of late-stage recoveries exist.  Supervisors should not assume any employee is hopeless, but this does not mean ignoring problems.  Supervisors, like family members, should learn about enabling and avoid doing it.  Enabling plays a key role in the progression of addictive disease and, in turn, resistance to treatment.  Like alcoholism, enabling can manifest a chronic and progressive pattern.  In the early years of the disease, a supervisor may overlook performance shortcomings.  Twenty years later, the same supervisor may be driving his or her employee to work because of a confiscated driver’s license.  Loaning money and covering for behavioral problems are also not uncommon.

Q.  Many performance problems can be signs and symptoms of a troubled employee, but what about symptoms of personality disorders?  Understanding these behaviors better would help supervisors not be manipulated by these employees, correct?

A.  Learning about behaviors associated with personality disorders would not have practical value in the work setting and could undermine your ability to identify problematic behaviors or job performance issues.  It could also enable you to avoid using resources available to you, such as the EAP, to correct problems.  Personality disorders are constructs that lump fields of rigid, maladaptive, or deeply engrained behaviors within certain personality types.  This process helps clinicians understand human behavior, design treatment plans, and better understand how to help affected persons better adapt to their environment, stress, etc.  You may have an employee who is overly concerned about perfection, control or the order of things, but whether he or she has an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not important.  The effect of these behaviors on the work situation is what’s important.  Avoid the academics and theory of employee problems.  You will be more efficient and effective.

Q.  I am a new supervisor overseeing many blue-collar employees.  Supervising this class of workers is new for me.  Is there anything I need to know about working with blue-collar workers as opposed to white-collar workers?

A.  Often blue-collar jobs tend to be dirty, dangerous, and/or demanding (heavy physical work).  Some white-collar jobs may share these characteristics but these factors overwhelmingly tilt toward blue-collar occupations.  Your first task is to evaluate and overcome any stereotypes, myths, or unhelpful biases toward blue-collar workers that are based upon your life experience.  The type of job a person has is often falsely associated with judgments about intelligence, abilities, sophistication, motivations, ambition, education, desire to climb the occupational ladder, social habits, cultural differences, and other factors.  These myths can be reinforced by popular culture.  They can undermine the ability to build positive relationships with employees that are needed to maximize their productivity.  Talk to the EAP and learn more about your supervision style and the work culture if you remain concerned.  EAPs often have keen insights on work culture and organizational history that can be helpful to supervisors.  Don’t ignore difficulty in bonding with your employees.  Problems in this area need fast and early attention.  Examine a new resource, Working Class: Challenging Myths About Blue-Collar Labor by Jeff Torlina (August 2011, Lynne Rienner Publishers).

Q.  I am a new supervisor and there are a million things to learn.  Can you discuss one critical thing I should keep in mind that most supervisors overlook or don’t consider as they take on their new role?

A.  As a new supervisor, a powerful yet often overlooked bit of advice or awareness is to remember that employees are, first and foremost, “supervisor watchers”.  They pay attention to everything you say and do.  They’ll track your every move through the work unit, come to understand your moods, remember what you said at the water cooler two years earlier, and more.  They will model or behave in ways that are consistent with the way you behave.  If you speak badly of the organization, they will too.  If you take pride in the work unit and praise the work organization, ditto.  This principle applies to interpersonal matters, such as treating others with respect, as well.  Never stop learning and you will watch them do the same.  Set a good example for your employees to emulate.  The most powerful tools supervisors possess are their reputations and conscious use of themselves to influence those they lead.

Q.  I am nervous about a disciplinary meeting with my employee.   I fear appearing anxious and inexperienced.  Can the EAP help?

A.  Being nervous in anticipation of a disciplinary meeting is normal.  There is a way to reduce the degree of nervousness, and the EAP can help.  Try rehearsing difficult conversations using role-play with the EA professional.  (Inquire as to whether HR can assist you, as well, and be sure to follow any steps or procedures they prefer.)  Anticipate the kind of questions the employee will ask and practice your answers.  A few tips:  Keep your responses to the point.  Do not wander off topic or place a priority on helping the employee walk away feeling OK and accepting about the disciplinary action.   Some nervous supervisors who worry about “bad feelings” are drawn into talking too much or repeating themselves, not giving the employee ample time to respond.  Knowing how you are going to structure your meeting will also reduce your nervousness.

Q.  More of my employees are seeking better work-life balance.  This is good, but it has caused some conflicts on the job.  How can supervisors play a supportive role and encourage employees to live with balance, while still insisting on high standards of productivity?

A.  Seeking work-life balance is important, but for most employees, it is an on going process, not something that is “discovered” or achieved with finality.  This means conflicts with the employer are bound to occur as employees make decisions to set limits on their availability.  Improving work-life balance can be very difficult for some employees.  Coaching help may be needed to make any meaningful progress.  Employees may face large obstacles requiring tough decisions after discussion and examination of their values, negotiating skills, and ability to be assertive or resolve conflicts at home.  The EAP can help employees navigate these obstacles while reducing risk of jeopardizing the job or working relationships.  Ask the EAP about work-life balance education for your employees.  When you witness visible frustration, be sure to inquire about how you can help.  Often employees stay silent, falsely concluding the employer has no flexibility, when in fact the opposite is true.

Q.  I think my employee is sleeping on duty in our company truck, in between deliveries during the work day.  I am suspicious because of the inability to make contact for long periods and a disheveled appearance in the afternoon.

A.  If you have evidence that your employee may be sleeping on the job, meet to discuss it.  Consult your organization’s policy for guidance, if one exists, and consider a supervisor referral to the EAP for an assessment.  Many studies over the years have examined why employees sleep on the job.  The National Sleep Foundation has conducted a few.  One of its studies showed 30% of workers have dozed off on the job.  Ninety percent of employees admit to having underperformed at work because of lack of sleep.  So, although this problem isn’t always visible, it is common.  Some employees sleep regularly on the job and simply hope to not get caught.  In some instances, coworkers may cover for each other or even sleep in groups, hidden from management.  Still, there are dozens of medical and health related explanations for sleep loss and the risk of sleeping on the job.  Your EAP will make a proper assessment.

Q.  How can I be the kind of supervisor who inspires employees?  I am not the charismatic type.  What communication skills or abilities are necessary?

A.  It is not necessary to be charismatic in order to inspire your employees.  You can learn how to help them be energetic, vibrant, moved to produce, willing to engage, and anxious to demonstrate that they are reliable, trustworthy, and loyal.  Does that sound like a tall order?  Start first by modeling and being an inspired leader.  Let your employees see your excitement.  If you are full of energy, it will be much easier to have it rub off on them.  Tell your employees about your vision, your hopes for the work unit, and what excites you about the future.  Let your employees know what a great job they’re doing.  Tell them how important their contributions are to the mission.  Point out their strengths when you see them.  Remain attentive to your employees’ needs and meet often enough to know what they are.  Go to bat for your employees and never have them thinking, “He (she) doesn’t know how tough we’ve got it.”  Instead, actually spend some time performing your employees’ jobs so you understand their challenges.  Set high standards and serve your employees.  In return, they’ll then serve the organization.

Q.  Many new employees get into trouble because they don’t understand the work culture, the unwritten rules of communication, and the politics.  Perhaps it’s not fair, but should I coach employees on these qualitative matters or let them sink or swim and figure it out?

A.  Whether or not they are fair and productive, politics, power, and communication nuances in organizations are a reality.  Any lasting work organization will acquire unwritten rules of the road for how employees must behave in order to fit in.  Naturally, being out of touch or discovering these things the hard way can break an employee’s spirit.  This makes it proper to orient your employees and coach or mentor them appropriately in the finer points of successfully navigating the work culture.  Don’t wait for your employees to have confusion, communication or performance problems, or conflicts first.  Instead, give some thought to what these political factors are and make them part of your coaching discussions.  This is helpful for employees and the work organization because it helps synchronize employee behavior with the organizations’ culture.  Don’t shy completely away from politics; instead, adapt with awareness and help your employees do the same.

Q.  My employee always argues with me when we discuss performance problems.  This pattern is nearly 20 years old.  Can the EAP meet with me and my employee with the goal of observing our interaction?  I think feedback later might help this person see his difficult communication style.

A.  You should meet with the employee assistance professional alone to discuss this conduct problem and the difficulty you have experienced in correcting it.  Your employee demonstrates poor cooperation and inability to accept feedback.  Long-term enabling has established an altered relationship where you have abdicated your authority and role as a manager.  Expect correcting this problem to be more difficult than it first appears.  Part of your discussion with the EAP will be how to establish new ground rules for your relationship.  The problem you are experiencing is a common one, but with focus and support from the EAP you will develop a strategy for turning it around.  You may eventually refer the employee to the EAP, but initially the burden of change will lie with you.