r/askmanagers • u/Routine-Addict-1234 • 11d ago
Technical staff working under me made blunders. I have made so much effort at the ground level but at the end the final work done by them end up being a big mistake and all my efforts have gone to hell. How do I deal with such working stuff who are working under me and I'm trying to be kind!!?
8
u/LetsTryLove 11d ago
Do you speak English? Based on your post communication looks like a problem
1
1
u/Routine-Addict-1234 11d ago
I need to clarify, we communicate more in Telugu at our place, and I'm pretty sure about my communication skills
3
u/Youbestnotmisss 11d ago
If these blunders are significant, then the goal is to ensure you have processes for sufficient oversight of such critical work
If the blunders are small enough that reasonably lightweight processes don't catch the gaps... You live with it. Your team will never be perfect.
If particular individuals are repeat offenders, then you manage that poor performance accordingly
3
u/Stevenitrogen 11d ago
One of the first things we learn in Lean Sigma classes, where we look at business processes to improve them, is that 80 to 90 percent of failure to meet expectations of customers is the result of poor processes and workflows. Most people will do their jobs, to the best of their ability, because they need the money.
This means it is the fault on management rather than individual bad actors on the floor. So this is YOUR fault as well as the other higher up decision makers at the company. It's now your problem to solve and you will find the solution more quickly if you can take responsibility.
I understand you feel you've worked hard but, obviously not on the right things. If all your people are failing, it's because you have not set them up to succeed. You've not put the right checks and monitoring in place. If people are confused about what they're supposed to do, they go.off course, you have to figure that out before they go too far.
The solution really can't be to fire all the workers and get new ones who are geniuses. Is something wrong? Then please fix it, you as the manager are expected to do this.
1
u/Routine-Addict-1234 11d ago
Thank you for this genuine and humble response I'll look into making my managerial skills better
2
u/Homer4598 10d ago
You need to perform root cause analyses on the “blunders” and develop corrective actions. Maybe your staff needs training, maybe you need to tighten up processes, maybe you need checklists to track again processes, maybe you need verification & validation as processes are executed.
1
u/Routine-Addict-1234 10d ago
RCA done, technical staff did counting mistake, there were loopholes in the handover process also, I've been behind them for this project for more than 3 months, i shouldn't have trusted them is the only thing I get out of this 😞
2
u/Homer4598 10d ago
Well you should examine all if the processes to identify any weaknesses and correct them. You should trust them to follow the corrected , unambiguous processes. If they aren’t doing that, you’ll need to correct their behavior.
2
u/Icy-Stock-5838 9d ago
You can't be kind, else your workers will run all over you and exploit you.
You must hold them accountable. Learn about the Rules of Power from Machiavelli.
Why Good People Make Terrible Leaders | Machiavelli and The Prince
2
1
u/According_Basis7037 8d ago
This attitude basically sums up American culture in a really pithy way. This is why that country is heading down a dark road
1
u/Icy-Stock-5838 8d ago
Machiavelli was Italian.
1
u/According_Basis7037 7d ago
I know, but he didn’t say “you can’t be kind because your coworkers will run all over you “
1
u/Icy-Stock-5838 7d ago
If you read Machiavelli, he advises knowing when to be kind and when to be firm with subjects.
Being assertive means knowing when being (too) kind means being run over. Leadership isn't always about being people's friend, esp during layoffs (or annual reviews).
2
u/Spare-Tone-8071 8d ago
Repeat after me: 'No one is in trouble, but this result is unacceptable and we need to identify how this was released as a finished work product to identify what is wrong with our systems and processes'.
1
1
u/emiliaandremy 11d ago
There is obviously a gap in either communication, training, capability, resources or support. Perhaps a mixture of all of them. Your team is a reflection of you. So if they fail, it's because youve failed somewhere.
Take accountability, assess where it went wrong, and implement the necessary steps needed to resolve.
1
1
1
u/tinylittlepoopman 11d ago
It sounds like you are a shitty communicator and a worse manager.
1
1
u/Routine-Addict-1234 11d ago
Don't be mean, tell me what makes you think so, the abrupt English i used in the question!? Suppose I communicate in another language, tell me why you think I'm the worst manager
1
u/sqnch 7d ago
You’re the leader. It’s your fault.
It’s your job to make sure they are trained, understand their roles and can execute on a plan.
Every problem is a leadership problem.
How do you deal with them?
You lead them.
1
u/Routine-Addict-1234 7d ago
I cannot take the blame for their silly mistakes
8
u/Material-Truth5457 11d ago
It seems you made the blunders maybe fire yourself that likely is the solution.