I've mentioned elsewhere that I now have 2 bosses.
One is a sales driver, and one is all about procedure and compliance.
A couple of months ago we getting overrun with emails and add on jobs, so the managers were spending too much time chasing stuff, and not enough time leading our boys.
So 5 weeks ago we got pulled in and were lathered about getting out with our teams and driving sales forward over the quiet summer months. No problem
Then last week we got called in to get a bollocking that compliance has slipped to unacceptable standards. Ok, but....
Today we have a conference call. Towards the end of the call it is commented that only one manager has requested extra POS material in August, which is totally unacceptable. Does anyone wish to counter that? Yes ! Says I. The marketing contact went on holiday towards the end of last month and the beginning of August. So I had a conversation with her before then, and she got me plenty of material before the month end, so it's not showing on the report they are looking at.
So I have been on top of the compliance that actually helps my team, well before the bollocking, and have only ignored the lesser ( imo ) stuff which is non productive, because of the leader about spending more time in the field.
So an apology is forthcoming ?
No.
Well an acceptance that I'm in front of the game when it comes to keeping up with the admin and compliance stuff, and their records just don't show it ?
No.
I actually got a bollocking from manager no.2 that I obviously haven't been using the material because the sales have been poor for the last 3 weeks.
Hang on.
A) The conversation isn't about sales, it's about compliance.
B) We've been discussing the performance of the individuals privately, and what I've been doing to help them in 1:1 calls - not on conference calls with all the other managers.
C) When I got back from holiday my team had slipped in my absence. Admittedly. Since then I've had one guy quit, one guy break his collarbone and be off all month, one guy climb into the top 15 performers over a period of 3 weeks, before being ill for 2 days last week, and dropping back a few. He since then worked Friday, a day he had booked off coz it was his birthday, to set up stuff ready for this week. And one guy has climbed week on week and is now one place out of the winners of the next incentive, which finishes at the end of September. Oh, and I've got one guy who is crap, but what the heck.
So where's been their help over the last three weeks if that performance isn't up to scratch.
Me ? Livid ?
Basically the call was going to be a bollocking session. They didn't want a positive response to their challenge. However, I blindsided them, so rather than reassess and using a positive response to challenge some of the less efficient guys to improve their game, they instantly decided to move the goalposts to try to belittle me in front of my peers.
Nice.
One is a sales driver, and one is all about procedure and compliance.
A couple of months ago we getting overrun with emails and add on jobs, so the managers were spending too much time chasing stuff, and not enough time leading our boys.
So 5 weeks ago we got pulled in and were lathered about getting out with our teams and driving sales forward over the quiet summer months. No problem
Then last week we got called in to get a bollocking that compliance has slipped to unacceptable standards. Ok, but....
Today we have a conference call. Towards the end of the call it is commented that only one manager has requested extra POS material in August, which is totally unacceptable. Does anyone wish to counter that? Yes ! Says I. The marketing contact went on holiday towards the end of last month and the beginning of August. So I had a conversation with her before then, and she got me plenty of material before the month end, so it's not showing on the report they are looking at.
So I have been on top of the compliance that actually helps my team, well before the bollocking, and have only ignored the lesser ( imo ) stuff which is non productive, because of the leader about spending more time in the field.
So an apology is forthcoming ?
No.
Well an acceptance that I'm in front of the game when it comes to keeping up with the admin and compliance stuff, and their records just don't show it ?
No.
I actually got a bollocking from manager no.2 that I obviously haven't been using the material because the sales have been poor for the last 3 weeks.
Hang on.
A) The conversation isn't about sales, it's about compliance.
B) We've been discussing the performance of the individuals privately, and what I've been doing to help them in 1:1 calls - not on conference calls with all the other managers.
C) When I got back from holiday my team had slipped in my absence. Admittedly. Since then I've had one guy quit, one guy break his collarbone and be off all month, one guy climb into the top 15 performers over a period of 3 weeks, before being ill for 2 days last week, and dropping back a few. He since then worked Friday, a day he had booked off coz it was his birthday, to set up stuff ready for this week. And one guy has climbed week on week and is now one place out of the winners of the next incentive, which finishes at the end of September. Oh, and I've got one guy who is crap, but what the heck.
So where's been their help over the last three weeks if that performance isn't up to scratch.
Me ? Livid ?
Basically the call was going to be a bollocking session. They didn't want a positive response to their challenge. However, I blindsided them, so rather than reassess and using a positive response to challenge some of the less efficient guys to improve their game, they instantly decided to move the goalposts to try to belittle me in front of my peers.
Nice.
