Assignment Task: You have been working at Davis & Leon, a national chain of specialty food stores, for over 4 years. You really enjoy the work; the pay and benefits are excellent, and the organization is very supportive. Recently, you applied for a store manager position in the downtown location, and you were the successful candidate. You started training for your new position 3 months ago with the former manager (Pat), who retired as soon as you were trained.
Your team consists of 16 direct reports: 2 supervisors, 4 cashiers, 6 grocery staff, 2 delivery drivers, 1 baker and 1 catering/gourmet food specialist. The 2 supervisors do most of the scheduling, ordering and day-to-day supervision of the staff. According to their job descriptions, staff report to both supervisors equally, which has caused some confusion and tension in the past.
However, you see little actual evidence of any staff reporting to the supervisors, except for matters related to scheduling.
The store has 5 departments: produce, bakery, grocery, meats, and gourmet food. The staff generally works in their specific areas but is expected to help out in any department or take on any role when needed.
During your training, the former manager shared some frustrations about the staff team.
Pat: "Overall they are a great team. They know their jobs. They also know that I will always be there to help them out. I don't like mistakes, so the staff know that if there is anything out of the ordinary, they should come to me, and I will make the decision.
There is one person I'm having issues with, Sam, our gourmet food specialist. I don't know what is going on with him! He used to be my star employee, friendly and great with customers. Now, he is rude and uncooperative with the staff. I have been tempted to just let him go, but who could I hire? The knowledge Sam has is very specific, and we have many customers who will only deal with him because of that knowledge! So, I just kind of ignore it and hope it will get better."
You have been observing the staff team for a while now and have come to some of your own conclusions. Overall, they do seem to be good at their jobs. They pull together and work well as a team when the store gets busy. However, if a customer complains, if anything goes wrong, or if they have a question or concern, they come straight to you, the Store Manager., They do not seem to be willing to make a decision on their own. You questioned the supervisors as to why the employees are not going to them, but they state that Pat used to make all the decisions, and they thought you would continue with this style. Even the supervisors double-check with you about decisions they have made. Both of them seem very competent and seem to be ready to take on more responsibility when it comes to dealing with customers or making decisions. Besides, these constant interruptions are taking up too much of your time, and something needs to change.
Over the past few months, you have been observing Sam, and you agree with Pat's assessment. Sam snaps at the other staff, takes extra long breaks and will not help out in other areas, even when the store is busy. You have noticed that the other staff seems frustrated with Sam's attitude, and they are starting to gossip about Sam behind their back. Sam and a supervisor got into a verbal altercation yesterday. The supervisor asked Sam to help put together a large delivery order, and Sam refused. The supervisor came to you after the incident and requested that you "do something" about Sam.
Employee Discipline:
Over the last 6 months, you have been working with Sam, applying your motivational theory, and meeting with him regularly. You have seen little change in regard to his negative interactions with other staff or supervisors. He is still very rude and abrupt when staff asks him questions. He tends to ignore staff if they ask him for assistance, so they have given up asking him. The supervisors have stated that he will do what they ask but does so with plenty of disrespectful body language (eye-rolling, facial expressions, loud sighs) and mumbling under his breath. The staff team has expressed frustration and anger over the situation with Sam. Both supervisors are fed up with Sam's attitude and are tired of hearing complaints from the staff team about him. Sam received a verbal warning 6 weeks ago from a supervisor due to an argument with another staff about the location of a display table. The argument was quite loud, and a few customers heard it. Sam seemed to take the warning well and stated he would not argue with other staff in front of customers again.
Today, Mrs. Alverez, a loyal customer for over 10 years, called you directly to complain about Sam. Mrs. Alverez stated that she was talking with Sam yesterday about a large catering order she was placing. During the conversation, a staff member approached Sam to ask a question related to a new product in Sam's section. Sam snapped at the employee and yelled "Get lost, stupid!" Mrs. Alverez told you she was very shocked at Sam's conduct and that she was considering cancelling her catering order. You spent over 20 minutes apologizing and reassuring her that this would never happen again. After you hung up the phone, you realized that something had to be done about Sam.
You have decided that Sam deserves a written warning. Think about what specific issues and/or behaviors you want to address. Draft a warning letter that addresses the issues and/or behaviors, as well as any consequences. See the Supervisor as Leader- Writing a Warning Letter section of Chapter for ideas on how to write the letter.