Ask the expert: Handling disgruntlement

How do you deal with an underperforming worker? DR MARIE WILSON, head of management and employment relations at the University of Auckland Business School, answers this and other questions.

Q: I've just started a new management job and have been getting a lot of poor performance and uncooperative behaviour from a staff member who, I just learned, applied for my job and was flatly rejected. What can I do to try to ease the situation?


A: It sounds as if you are assuming that the performance and behaviour are the result of being turned down; maybe they were the reason for the rejection!

Check with the previous manager and whoever hired you about this staff member. Check the files to see if there are any notes, commendations or warnings. Are the performance levels and behaviour new?

If they aren't new, then you may have long-standing performance issues that have to be addressed.

This will require identifying what is actually required and what level of performance is being achieved, then bringing any gaps to the other person's attention and agreeing on a plan to address shortcomings.

If this is a long-running problem, it may take time and repeated coaching to remedy.

If these performance problems are new, then you still have a problem. This can be discussed in the same way, but you may need to ask the person directly if the new behaviour is related to not being promoted to manager.

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Q: My son is 20. He is in his third year of a bachelor of arts in political science at Auckland University. He is becoming concerned that a BA may not be enough to do anything other than teach, an area he is not interested in. So far, he has not failed a paper and has a good B grade. He is becoming anxious as he has to make a decision very quickly if he is going to pick up a conjoint degree, but he has no idea what he really wants to do. He is interested in joining a corporation, but is unsure if they consider people who just have a BA. Somehow he thinks he has to have two degrees to get anywhere. Is this correct? He is widely read, intelligent, interested in many areas, articulate and my son to boot. Personally, I wish he would stop worrying, go for a working holiday to Europe and forget having to begin serious work for a year or two.


A: With an agent like you, I'm sure he'll get a job! It is increasingly common for students to pursue double majors and conjoint degrees to gain an edge in the job market.

Knowledge is important, and combining different areas, especially complementary ones, can be valuable. But it's not that simple.

Employers are also seeking key skills that may not be specific to a university major, including clear communication, teamwork, learning and problem-solving skills, initiative and responsiveness. IT skills are important, as well.

If your son has a good base of skills and can enter the job market, then a year of experience may be a better option than extending his undergraduate degree. There are many options to return to study, and further course work may make more sense to your son when he's clearer on what he really wants to do.

The OE isn't such a bad idea, either. New Zealand research has pointed out that it may be very good career development, equivalent to an expat assignment for senior managers.

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Q: I work with a woman who just seems to be socially inept. Her work-time conversations rattle on for ages and she never picks up the usual conversational cues that it's time to get back to work. I have to work closely with this person, so how can I handle this without making an enemy of her?


A: You need to act before the yakkadactyl's talking. As she enters your office, greet her while letting her know that you're right in the middle of work and can only spare x minutes.

Give her your attention for that span of time and then remind her that you have to get back to work. You may find it helpful to stand up and walk her to the door, or part of the way to her office.

Breaking eye contact while placing your hand firmly on her forearm or shoulder can be effective in signalling that you are interrupting her. Alternatively, always suggest you go somewhere to chat. For example, let's just deliver this report to payroll as we talk.

As a last resort, have an alternate work space where you can work without interruptions. If she barges in, escort her out politely and explain you're using this space so you can get through your work.

* Send your executive career questions to Career editor Julie Middleton