the bad guy
my job is mostly a cakewalk. i can do it from virtually anywhere. it takes a couple of hours a day max (unless, you know, someone steals an election). i can do it without pants. it's a good job.
but, now and again, just like with any job, i have to earn my paycheck.
some background you may not know: i work for a news organization. how busy we are heavily depends on what's happening in the world. most of the time we can't predict that, but sometimes (like, say, when an incumbent stands poised to ruin america for another four years) we have ample warning.
today i had to tell one of my employees that it was absolutely not convenient for her to take time off from november 4 — two days after the election — to november 13. not even (and here is the part that makes me cringe) to visit her dying grandmother in england.
well, obviously she should go visit her dying grandmother in england. but just as obviously, i had to tell her i couldn't spare her. she plans to go anyway, as she obviously must. what's not obvious is what i need to do about that, beyond bringing on another person to do her work and docking her pay for that time.
no one likes to be the bad guy, me less than most. i loathe having to settle disputes, give unpleasant news, and make unpopular decisions. i don't even like telling my team what to do — after five years with these employees, i am happiest when things are humming along with little need for intervention. but my job is to manage the team, to see that the work gets done, and occasionally to be the bad guy.
guess that's why they pay me the big bucks.
Comments
I had to lay someone off who'd just unexpectedly lost her father. She was supposed to be laid off mere days after, but I got it delayed a month in hopes we'd be able to rescind the order (by landing more business) during that month. And also, of course, because I would not, could not add insult to injury.
I also didn't tell her that the layoff might be pending once she returned to work during that subsequent month (she had a good idea - we'd laid other people off as well earlier - but I just couldn't have that conversation. I did manage to get a better severance package for her in light of the circumstances, though.)
The whole thing sucked hard. It's a wonder she still even speaks to me - but she does.
I'm betting your staff will understand as well why you have to play the hardass at times.
Posted by: Betsy | August 14, 2004 01:32 PM