My team of direct reports and I have been struggling at maintaining a manageable workload mostly because of our outdated computer system which assigns work to my direct reports. I've tried to do some blocking and tackling to help with workload equity but it's a daily struggle. My boss, and several layers above him, are aware that this is a problem but we're stuck with the computer system until sometime at the end of 2012 when we are supposedly all getting a new computer system.
My team is aware of the issues and we meet frequently to discuss better ways of addressing the issue. One of my directs recently sent me a text message stating the following: "This is my 3rd assignment today, you need to do something. This is crazy."
The direct is a high performer and I could sense his frustration; however, I'm somewhat put off by the text message. Should I give him feedback on the "tone" of the message or just let it go?
If you're not happy then
If you're not happy then feedback is the way forward. You're the boss and as such, you get to set the standards. If youfeel it could be done better, then give him feedback.
Setting and maintaining standards is your job.
Tim
He may just be giving you specific examples
I agree the tone sounds more like a complaint than information, so feedback is probably in order.
However, I know direct reports are constantly worried their concerns are not heard (or if heard, perhaps their manager doesn't understand the magnitude of the concern) so this may be from a position of trying to give you concrete examples. You didn't mention exactly what you've done to solve the problem, but I'm sure you're better off by having some metric to help steer through it (even if you're options are limited for now). So you certainly don't want to create an environment where your access to information suddenly dries up. Nor do you want the direct to feel like their real concerns are not being heard. Sounds like everyone agrees this is a real issue. So concentrate on the tone (and perhaps the frequency if the complaints are daily, etc.), not on the data.
Guessing the tone of the email
I believe there is a podcast on feedback that says that when you feel like you cannot let it pass that is exactly when you should´t give the feedback, because it shows you are resentful about the issue and feedback should not be about the past, but about the future. Will giving him feedback help with some change of behaviour in the future? It sounds like he is just expressing his frustration. Be careful not to express yours in return.
I find that it is nearly impossible to get the "tone" of the message through an email. It is so easy to get it wrong, that I don´t really think it is worth giving him a feedback on the "tone" of the email. I would´t respond to the email. I would just, when you meet with him/her person reassure him/her that the company is doing something about it, and hopefully it will get it sort out by XX. He may not have responded in the best of ways, but no damage was actually really done, was there? And did he actually get the assignments done, despite the craziness? If he has, that is impressive and I would actually give him a positive feedback that despite his frustration you appreciate how hard he is working. Isn´t there something that can be done to redistribute manually the assignments to sort out the computer problem until that gets solved?
Nara
Careful
Be careful, sms like emails does not have TONE. when you read it you insert a tone based on your reading of it / mood.
Compare these:
"This is my 3rd assignment today, you need to do something. This is crazy."
"This is my 3rd assignment today, you need to do something. This is crazy :)"
"This is my 3rd assignment today, you need to do something. This is crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
If you feel the need to give feedback, you might want to consider a clarification of the individuals state of mind when they sent you that sms.
best of luck
DISC: 7511
And therein lies the nub
I would disagree there. It's not the state if mind, it's the action that's in question
agreed - the state of mind cannot be in question
I agree with Tim. Feedback needs to be on the action, on the behaviour, not on the state of mind. If the problem is just on the state of mind, then there is no problem.
If you want to do something about what happened, maybe the "feel felt found" (there is a podcast on that) is more appropriate than feedback here.
This is not a feedback situation
This isn't a feedback situation. Be thankful that your direct feels comfortable expressing themself to you.
If you give correcting feedback everytime someone complains to you, you will never know when there are real problems. You will teach the behavior of staying away from the manager - good news or bad.
Besides, you agree with your direct. Maybe you should model professional behavior by echoing and addressing the direct's concerns in a professional manner.