Safety Speed Cut Thermwood Corporation ECabinet Systems

Cabinetmaking

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

hot headed employee

5/17/16       
Dan Cook

How do you guys deal with a long term employee who is hot headed. I have a very good employee who is reliable, good at what he does, etc. but he has a short fuse when he works with other employees who are stronger personalities. In this employee market I can't really afford to lose him but need some way to keep him from disrupting other employees. It just causes tension in the shop.

5/17/16       #2: hot headed employee ...
John S  Member

What I do in a situation like that is have a closed door meeting with the hot-head and tell him face to face, what I object to and how it is affecting the other workers and the plant overall. Don't back down and absolutely don't let him give you excuses for his behavior. It doesn't matter what "set him off", his behavior is his own and only he can do something about it.

You need to set parameters around what is acceptable behavior and what is not. These pertain to everyone, not just the person in question. And you need to communicate the consequences of not abiding by the rules; and be specific!

My final rule in a case like this will always end with "termination" if the employee can't behave after several warnings. Anything less and you will lose control of your shop floor. You are the boss, be one. I'm sure there are more than a few people who are waiting for you to "do something about this guy".

I know that good people are hard to find these days, but I don't consider someone who causes delays, confusion and/or hard feelings on the shop floor to be a "good" employee.

One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Give him direct, prompt and consistent feedback. Hold him to your shop floor rules of behavior and if he can't abide by them, then you are better off without him.

5/17/16       #3: hot headed employee ...
Puzzleman Member

I have been there.

What surprised me was how much better the work got done without the person that I thought couldn't be lost. Everyone's attitude improved because no one was worried about the one employee going off the deep end again. The tension was gone when they were gone and we didn't realize how much tension that we had when he was here.

Follow the advice from above but do not let this person hold you hostage in your own business.

5/18/16       #4: hot headed employee ...
jake

Threat him him with write up? Sounds like he is too comfortable. I would just work him until he quit.

5/18/16       #5: hot headed employee ...
Zack

I agree with John S. There is also an opportunity if he doesn't get it to give him an unpaid suspension as a warning to let him know that you're serious.

At some point though, if he keeps it up you're going to loose more good employees then just him. Other potential good employees will hear word, or see for themselves when they first start and leave promptly so they don't have to deal with it.

You have to confront him.

5/18/16       #6: hot headed employee ...
cabmaker

Imagine walking on across a room with just the floor joists in place, no plywood sheathing in place at all.

It can be done but you have move slowly and be very deliberative about your motions. For your crew working with this prima donna is like walking across that floor.

Lose the guy. He's not as important as you think. The rest of the crew will appreciate it and step up as a consequence.

5/18/16       #7: hot headed employee ...
Rick

"employees who are stronger personalities"? So are they throwing their weight around, without knowing all the problems...do they need to dial it back?

5/28/16       #9: hot headed employee ...
Thomas

Dan, I agree with John. You have to address the situation. One thing you should always do though, is make sure you document the session when you address the employee. You should also have the employee sign a briefing of what was addressed to show that you have dealt with him, or her, concerning the matter. If it persist and you have been documenting the progression then you strengthen your position if it should have to terminate the employee and it comes to some form of litigation.

6/1/16       #10: hot headed employee ...
Randy  Member

My experience just like Puzzleman, situation likely will not change. You will do yourself, your employees and this employee a favor by asking him to move on.

6/25/16       #11: hot headed employee ...
Mark  Member

I am that hot headed employee.

Not Dan's, but the same type of guy he describes.
How come no one here( besides Rick) has asked "What is he getting upset about?"

For me is was lack of any respect for the work I set up- if another person was to produce materials/operations for a job I was in charge of, I usually got it late or different from what I asked for. And rarely was I able to get it re-done. Anybody could make changes to my work it seemed and I was to just deal with it.

For me it was a complete lack of respect for the time line i was trying to keep- if it ran over, it ran over. After all, I was the only one who had to answer for it.

For me, no one gave a damn for the quality of work I tried to produce - hey it's not their work, right? I spent more than a few evenings and weekends re-doing door fit ups, sand throughs, and re-finishing. And this was by people I knew could do fine work, one of them world class.

Complain to the Boss? No, then I was just bitchin'. Boss stayed out of the floor dynamic. And more than once I was blasted by a customer for being late, because I was the 'lead man'.

Look, the money was good- $25 pr hr- and I did get to do some fine work, but I got to where I had to put my hands on everything and bust my ass to get things made.

I complained to the Boss for the last time when he decided that a phone message from my wife wasn't important enough to deliver to me-after all, he had to walk onto the shop floor. I won't repeat the following conversation....

So, whats your guy mad about?

6/25/16       #12: hot headed employee ...
Dan cook

Don't think it matters. I approached him and told him that I was having a meeting with him and another employee after I got back from a meeting. After I left he blew up, walked, out and I haven't heard from him since.

6/25/16       #13: hot headed employee ...
Dan cook

In the end it is probably for the best as the tension it creates is just too much. Sometimes you just have two bulls in the same pen.


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Limtech Industries, Inc. Lamello