I believe I have an ethical dilemma 1

[SF18C]

I believe I have an ethical dilemma that I’m hoping you all can lend a hand with.

I work in a small network service center that provides support to about 3000 users. I work for the US Army providing connectivity to end user buildings and from there the units or users are responsible for things like desktop support. We also provide email, DNS, WINS, DHCP and the other essential network functions of a midsize camus area network. My shop only has 3 members, as we are currently understaffed by 3 more positions. Those 3 positions are in transition and hopefully will be filled by January (We are also stationed in Germany which makes the hiring process lengthy to say the least). In my section I am the team leader and responsible for all our actions, or more importantly, inactions.

My main problem revolves around one of those paper cert tigers that somehow knows the answer to every problem but can never seem to bring closure to any troubleshooting call with out calling on me or the other guy in the shop to solve it. He some how never completes any given task or installation with out dropping the bomb on his collages. This guy was not hired by me but by my boss. But this is one of those situations in which it is easier to deal with problems without his involvement. I have brought this up to my boss several times and his answer is that I need to document and counsel this bad apple and then the boss can (and will) take action.

I had a situation starting on Thursday were PaperMan had promised a high priority circuit into the Army’s Classified network to some Colonel, (who’s unit is preparing to deploy to Iraq in a few months and this connection is the way this unit will receive most of its information, takings and orders.) And that this would be completed on Friday. On Thursday PaperMan told me all that was left to be done was to enable the interface on the backbone router and give the IP addresses to the unit. (Oh and by the way this guy had to take two days off for personal reasons.) So, on Friday I went to do just that and found out that connection devices were not properly configured, cables were not even connected, and the reams of paperwork for such a connection were not completed. I put my work load aside and finished all the configurations, paperwork and got the unit online today. After all was said and done I again told my boss about the situation and again I was told that I need to document this and the boss will have him on his way out of here.

So I am working on the proper way to “counsel” this guy because I am sick and tired of taking up for his workload, while he claims to know everything there is about networking and how he use to work for the NSA and others in the shop “are not qualified to do his work” (those are his words that he likes to say to the other guy in the shop because his security clearance has not been completed). I’m basically ready to take this guy off at the knee caps, humble his pride and let him know that if a 6 man shop can function with only 3 people I pretty sure we (the other 2) can handle it without him there as well! Now PaperMan has only been here for 6 months and his family just came over from the States 2 months ago (his absence was to move in to a house but that is another story).

I know that I should have put more effort into the corrective counseling before now, but I have pulled him aside and given him the “ol’ verbal talkin’ too’s” but I guess they don’t help much. My thinking was I would hate to commit something to paper while he is new on the ground, separated from his family and still trying to find his place in the organization. So after the long drawn out story here is the dilemma, how do I let this guy know that I am ready to have him axed from his job (and he can move his whole family back to the States) if his job performance does not drastically change pronto! His first year of employment is probationary and he can pretty much be let go if I do the paperwork and request his termination. I know it sound really terrible to send a guy packing 8000 miles after his family just got here but I really can’t stand the situations this fellow was put us in time after time.

Anyway any advice will be noted and just getting this off my chest helps a great deal too!


SF18C
CCNA, MCSE, A+, N+ & HPCC

"Tis better to die on your feet than live on your knees!"

 

[Kjonnnn]

Stop being a mother. Everytime he screws up, you fix it. STOP IT. Everybody else has to complete their responsibilities, why not him? BECAUSE YOU'RE THERE TO DO IT. And he knows it.

So how do you tell him you're gonna axe him? You say, "Look I'm goning axe you if I have to finish just ONE MORE of your projects." Simple. Make him claim some responsibility. Be a man of your word. He screws up. He's gone.

Usually people try to "shine" with new jobs and new lovers. If he aint "shining" now, its only gonna go downhill from here on out.

 

[edfair]

No ethics involved. Document the Friday fiasco. Pass it up.
The longer you wait , the harder it will be.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[SF0751]

SF18C, you don't say if you're in the military or if you're a civilian employee - neither one is fun if you've got a Colonel standing at your desk, saying "I was promised this today - why isn't it done?". If you CAN defer the problem until Paperman wanders back into the office, do so. However, if you cannot - DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

01 Oct 2003: PaperMan assigned project XYZ for Colonel Smith. Due date 24 Oct 2003.
23 Oct 2003: PaperMan informed me that the following items remained outstanding: blah blah blah blah.
24 Oct 2003: PaperMan on leave.
24 Oct 2003: Discovered the following additional undocumented outstanding items form project XYZ: blah blah blah blah blah.
24 Oct 2003: Corrected/completed above undocumented items for Project XYZ.

Then review everything with PaperMan. This can serve both as your "counciling" as well as documentation.

Susan
[sup]Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live. - Mark Twain[/sup]

 

[CajunCenturion]

Your ethical responsibility should be to do that which is best for the organization. Period. It's not personal.

What your boss has said, and eched by the previous responses are all in synch with each other. You already know what you have to do, and as unpleasant as it may be, your choice is clear. The best courtesy that you can afford your associated is to review your after action report before you send it up the line, but make sure he knows, in no uncertain terms, that will run it up the line.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[jsteph]

I think Kjonnn has it right--so why give him yet another chance? He's not going to "drastically change pronto"--he's not going to change at all. Sure, he might kiss your ass more in the days after you give him an ultimatum, but that won't get circuits connnected and servers running.

It will just delay the inevitable--and what if something goes very wrong due to him (important orders don't make it to Iraq because of a circuit problem--or a security breach)--on your watch? All the paperwork in the world about him wont keep the spotlight off your face--They'll say: "after all--you knew his work was suspect-it's documented right here--why didn't you double-check it?"

Firing someone is up there with the very most stressfull things a person can do, so we feel for you there, but from what I see, it's got to be done.
--jsteph

 

[pmonett]

I may sound like I'm hounding on the weakling, but if I read correctly you are working for the army.
If there is one organisation where efficiency is paramount, it is in the military. I don't want to go off on patriotic ramblings, but there really is a problem. If this guy cannot do his job, who can guarantee that some poor Marine down the line will not get a bullet that could have been avoided ?
Army = teamwork = trust.
You don't trust him to do his job ? Ship him out, now.
Either that, or imagine what you would do if you had to explain to a widow why you didn't do it before.
I know, it sounds exaggerated. But I really get frustrated when I hear that military personnel are not doing their best to do their job. I'm not asking each one of them to be a superman, but for Heaven's sake, it looks like this guy isn't even trying.

Pascal.

 

[chiph]

Speaking as ex-military, and as someone who's had to fire someone like this under-performer...

You need to document this employee's failure to perform in order to prevent litigation later (First fule of goverment service: CYA).

You can do it by putting him on double-secret probation with weekly status meetings. The format that SF0751 posted is a good one - requirement, action (or inaction, in this person's case!), action, action, conclusion.

You can also, in your first meeting with him, set up 10 or so "performance goof points". When he gets to zero, he's on an airplane home. Of course, you need to find a way for him to earn some back -- 2 weeks without a goof and he gets a point back, or something.

Although, honestly, I've never seen anyone recover after they've entered probation. Usually by that point it's obvious to everyone involved that they're a goner, and it's just a matter of filling out the paperwork. Sucks, but sometimes you need to cut your losses, especially when they're at negative productivity.

Chip H.


If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[SF18C]

Thanks for everyones reply. I did do the counseling and had it put on paper. I did use SFO751's advise and basically stated the facts and why his actions were detrimental to the organization. Also my boss and I are doing something similar to chiph's advice.

The sad fact is to let some one go we need to have reams of paper work and I agree with Chiph that once someone gets on the slippery slope they usually don't slide up!

Again thanks.

SF18C
CCNP, MCSE, A+, N+ & HPCC

"Tis better to die on your feet than live on your knees!"

 

[mattKnight]

>...someone gets on the slippery slope they usually don't slide up!

Indeed, true.

But, shouldn't a good manager put the person on the slope and then offer every help to get them off and rehabilitated into the team again?

(I ask in general terms, not specifically of SF18C's situation)


Take Care

Matt
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

 

[jsteph]

<<put the person on the slope and then offer every help to get them off and rehabilitated into the team again?


Wouldn't that be contradictory? It's the manager who's putting him on the slippery slope of being axed (by putting him on probation), so why then fight yourself? If you're going to offer help to get him rehabilitated, then do that before you put him on the slippery slope--if you truly want this person on the team and believe he's worth the effort.
--jsteph

 

[mattKnight]

>Wouldn't that be contradictory?

I don't see it as so.

The manager has to &quot;close&quot; the issue - 2 ways this can be done by firing the individual or by altering the individual's work to match requirements. If this stark choice is offered to the individual with the offer of help in altering their work, it is a case of consequence... In fact not to offer the help is unfair, as it would appear that the decision to fire has already been made, which makes the probation (aka slippery slope) (you've put them on at the bottom) pointless.

In essence, you wave the stick and dangle the carrot!

Take Care

Matt
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

 

[Chance1234]

i agree with Matt Knight,

also a philosophy that i believe in is,

&quot;a team is only as strong as it's weakest member.&quot;

a good team leader is someone amongst too many to list here , is someone who knows the strength and weakness of a team and knows how to improve the weakness and exploit the strengths,

Also taking the second part of &quot;Team Leader&quot; LEADER your job is to LEAD! like the office equivilant i guess &quot;your a manager so manage&quot;.

It sounds like you are passing all the buck onto this guy,
after all IMHO a team leader takes on his shoulders all the responsibility and consequences for the team. ok so you have in your words a &quot;Bad apple&quot; on the team. instead of dealing with the issue you are simply deciding to throw it away.

I think the issue above is a failing on your behalf as a team leader.

Chance,

Filmmaker, gentlemen and proffesional drinker

http://public.fotki.com/chance1234/

http://journals.fotki.com/chance1234/

 

[Chance1234]

sorry that should of been I agree with Jsteph and also with Matt Kngiht

Filmmaker, gentlemen and proffesional drinker

http://public.fotki.com/chance1234/

http://journals.fotki.com/chance1234/

 

[SQLSister]

Further, if you don;t offer help, he may be able to successfully fight the firing. This happened at one of Navy commands used to work for. They got rid of someone without following the proper steps or offering to help the guy get the skills he needed to do the job and he sued and got re-instated.

 

[AFTech81]

As a member of the Air Force, I have to agree with chiph about the CYA rule. In my service experience, I have rarely saw a troop go to the commander by him/her self. It is always with their immediate supervisor. My advice, no matter how hard it may be to do, you need to cut your losses and move on. One &quot;Bad Apple&quot; can ruin the whole bunch.

Brian
USAF
Network +, Win2k Pro
No try not. Do or do not. --Yoda