Many years ago I began handing
out tootsie pops at work. It was
interesting to watch people’s reactions when I presented a box of tootsie pops
and invited them to take one. While
there was initial surprise, with a little encouragement pretty much everyone said
yes and sometimes asked for a specific flavor.
Inevitably when savoring the lollipop a smile would appear.
I started handing out
tootsie pops many years ago because of Stover James.
James was our boss and there
were ten of us Army officers and NCOs working in the office with him. While James could be approachable at times,
the smallest things could set him off.
His face would turn bright red.
He would kick the trash can and pound the table. Everyone would get rattled and a tense
atmosphere would be created waiting for the next explosion. On a fluke, I brought in a box of tootsie
pops to cheer folks up after a James’ eruption.
Since then, I’ve encountered
similar situations where employees have been required to work with a volatile
employee or worse yet, a boss acting in the same manner. When people recalled their association with
such a person, their reactions were predictable – an overwhelming sense of
dread while they vividly relived the experience.
Working with a volatile
coworker or boss has several consequences.
One is the decline in morale.
Another consequence is the development of a way to work around the
difficult employee or boss. These responses
hinder productivity. The most severe consequence
of dealing with a volatile coworker or boss is when a good employee decides to
leave. The combination of these consequences
can be very detrimental to an organization.
Just like in James’ case,
many times these negative behaviors are well known and tolerated. An all too common response when bosses are made
aware of this behavior is to ignore it.
Frequently this response is a reflection of the boss’ personal need to
avoid conflict. Avoidance is not a
solution.
Everyone deserves to have
good coworkers. Requiring employees to
work with an emotionally immature person is especially demoralizing. This sense of dread is amped up when people
feel the boss doesn’t care enough to resolve the issue.
When a volatile employee or
boss’s behavior is checked or they leave, a great sense of relief is felt by
everyone associated with the disruptive employee. Transferring the employee within the company can
be a sign of avoidance.
The vast majority of
employees want to do a good job. To help
them do this they need coworkers and a boss they can interact without fear of
repercussions. It is the responsibility
of the boss to make sure that happens.
When I hand out tootsie
pops, I can still picture Master Sergeant Romero, a veteran of two tours in Vietnam
