Heavy is the head that wears the crown

[InfiniteNow]

In positions of authority and leadership, we almost certainly all face difficult (and seemingly impossible) decisions. Choosing one approach or point of view over another equally valid. Going against our attachments and connections with people for the greater good. Resisting changes which we know will help, but which effect us emotionally.

 

What are some experiences that you've faced where the decision was very difficult and/or emotional, but you realize how important it was in the long run? What were some of the things preventing you from acting sooner? Were you offered some sort of guidance which allowed you to gain prespective on the situation?

 

 

Please share. :lol:

[InfiniteNow]

I'll get things started.

 

I was a supervisor at the American Cancer Society. I had a team of 48 people. Was in charge of hiring, training, evaluating, reporting, and firing. We had a slot become available when one of my staff moved away for school. I had a friend who needed work. Was a really bright guy, somehwat lazy, but smart enough to do what needed to be done. I thought I could kill two birds with one stone (he needed work, I needed an employee) so I hired him.

 

He signed the paperwork and I trained him up, got him going with the work, and from what I could tell all was well. Then, a few weeks later I got a report from one of my other team members that he was making personal calls during his shifts after I left for the day and not completing assignments. I thought perhaps it was a jealousy issue, as several on my team knew he'd been a friend of mine outside of work, and didn't think much of it. Then, more and more reports started trickling in, and more of my team were calling issues with this guy to my attention.

 

Okay, they couldn't all be lying, could they?

 

So, I put a trace on his calls, and set the autorecorder to capture each of his calls so I could listen to them the next day (this was a call center, and I had the technology available for evaulation purposes). Sure enough, he'd been spending 2 or 3 hours on the phone with his girlfriend each night, saying things like "I'll be out of here soon enough and will come over then." Not doing his work...

 

Saddened, frustrated, confused... I called him into the conference room to discuss. Told him what I'd discovered. He begged for me to give him another chance, saying, "C'mon, we're friends. How can you do this?" However, my duty in that role was to be a consistent leader to my team, and I ultimately had to let him go. We were never friends again, but I feel confident that I did the right thing, and it supported the team as a whole. I convinced myself that I was justified in my stance and he brought it upon himself, but it made the decision no easier. I still wonder if I should have tried harder to make things work with him.

 

That's one. :thumbs_up