Problem: I`m a placement director for a proprietary business school. Recently, our director placed my co-worker and me on probation because of poor performance.
Our department averages 10 to 15 placements out of monthly graduating classes of 30 students, and he wants us to double our placements each month.
Because of the indigence of the majority of our students coupled with poor communications skills, lack of work experience, outdated curriculum and a tight economy, it is very difficult for us to obtain the placements we now make.
I`ve told my boss on numerous occasions how difficult it is for us to solicit job orders and fill them with our graduates, but he still thinks we should ”grow tomatoes in the desert.” How can I make him see he`s mandating unrealistic goals?
Solution: Try to obtain placement numbers from similar types of schools. This would be very useful to help you make your case to your boss or show you that his expectations may be realistic.
If this information is not obtainable, keep detailed records of all the businesses you contact and the rejections you receive. After showing your placement attempts to your director, ask for suggestions as to how you might improve your success rate. He may be able to offer helpful guidance and, if not, he may realize the difficulty of your job.
Problem: I am the boss of a very bright, productive employee. The problem is that, evidently, she is a nymphomaniac. I am hearing things through gossip that make it hard for me to respect her and cause me to worry how her reputation will affect my firm. When I look at her now, I keep wondering how this could have happened and want to tell her to get some help. My wife says to stay out of her personal affairs but to find a reason and fire her for the sake of the firm. What should I do?
Solution: Firing someone for a trumped-up reason is never the right thing to do. Also, people can and do start rumors out of their own motivations. It would be a mistake to take gossip as gospel and convict a person on hearsay. Promiscuity is a matter of opinion and, in general, behavior outside the office is private.
If you see or hear of any behavior in the office that is inappropriate, then you can address the issue. Speak to her privately and deal with this misbehavior as you would any other behavior problem in the office.
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