By Leonard Toenjes

Q: There are two people in my office who pour in on with sucking up to their superiors. One openly compliments her superior when others are nearby. The other person suddenly gets a personality when his boss is in from the head office. I am afraid their behavior is seen by others for what it is, causing morale to drop and retarding productivity. I am above the first one in terms of hierarchy and an equal of the second one. Do you recommend I do something about this? Should I bring it up with my superiors? Should I hint to the people in question that their behavior is embarrassing? Or should I do nothing?

A: Doing nothing is usually not a good idea where there are personnel problems. Hinting is too indirect. Ignoring any human resources issues for any length of time just reinforces behaviors and makes the situation harder to deal with when it reaches the point of no return.

Yes, do something.

Let’s tackle the tougher one first. For the person who is equal to you in terms of the organizational chart, take your shared superior out to a private breakfast or lunch. Get you and your common boss out of the office into a casual environment.

Let them know that you want to speak about a confidential matter that you think will positively improve office morale. Make it sooner rather than later.

In preparation for the lunch, collect your thoughts about the manner in which you want to present this information. Remember the old axiom that “When Peter talks about Paul, you learn more about Peter than Paul.”

I suggest you jot down and think through some specific examples that you have noticed of situations where this co-worker’s behavior has caused the morale and productivity reductions you allude to. Be specific. A general feeling you have about this is more reflective of your feelings rather than information that can lead to positive solutions.

Be Positive with Concern

During the time out of the office with your shared boss, start the conversation by being positive about your co-workers and work environment. Help your boss feel at ease that you are wanting to help him/her do a better job of managing the office by presenting some information about a situation they may not be aware of, then share the specific examples of production loss that you have observed. Volunteer to help in any way with solutions to the problem.

Use the sandwich method of mentioning positive attributes that your co-worker has, sighting the problem issues resulting from the over-the-top complimentary behaviors and the following productivity losses and close with your overall positive feelings about the work environment and willingness to make things even better. Always remember that your comments reflect as much on you as on the person you are talking about.

Secondly, for the person who you are above in terms of hierarchy, either talk to him or her directly or to the person’s supervisor (who I’m assuming is on the same level with you). When talking with the offender, be candid and specific about the problem as you have observed it.

Point out the morale and productivity problems you have documented. Tell him or her that you expect an immediate change in this behavior, and you will make it part of their next performance review. Inform the person you will follow up with them in a couple of months to revisit this issue and discuss any improvements or lack thereof.

Do you have questions on construction human resources, safety or management? E-mail them to Leonard Toenjes at ltoenjes@agcstl.org or craig_barner@mcgraw-hill.com. If Len picks your question, he will answer it in a future issue of Midwest Construction.)