Re: Lack of self-awareness in a writer...what to do

["Pro TechWriter" <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Hello Anon:

This is not a problem with your management style. This is a problem with an
employee who will not follow your rules or process.

I felt the same way when I managed this very person. (Or they sound very
much the same, so much so that it is eerie.)

There are some people who cannot seem to follow a process or work as part of
a team. These folks do best with a small, one-writer company kind of job.

In the meantime, here is my advice, and it's worth what you paid for it:
free :-). I will say, though, that I started managing people in various
positions in the early 70's. I've had lots of training to manage
effectively, and have managed a group about the size of yours. That's when I
had the same issues in my group, with one addition: the writer that reported
to me plagarized another vendor's documentation, and then put his name on
it. We narrowly avoided being sued by the vendor. It was bad.

   1. If you have not started, begin documenting all the issues you have
   had with the writer, and do it right now. You will need this information to
   begin the process to let him go if he does not improve.
   2. Pay *close* attention to the rest of your team. How is their
   morale? Are they noticing that someone who makes more and is at a higher
   level is "getting away" with not following process? This, by far, should be
   your biggest concern. You cannot allow one person in the department to run
   amok with no concern for the "rules" that the rest of you must follow. It
   will destroy the team's morale.
   3. Go to HR and discuss your company's procedures for warning and
   firing personnel.
   4. Time for the first warning. List all of the areas that must be
   improved, and exactly what must be done to do so. (Such as, have appropriate
   reviews before releasing documentation.) Meet with the writer. If you can
   have your department head or someone from HR attend with you, do it. Do
   *not* do this alone. You need a witness. During the meeting, go over each
   item point by point, and state what you want the writer to do to correct it,
   and the time period. Then talk about the consequences. (Correct this within
   30, 60 or 90 days, or you will be let go.) Explain that he has choices, but
   these are the consequences of the choices. The first consequence could be a
   demotion, if you want to give him an extra chance.
   5. You will need to team with this writer yourself. You can't ask
   another writer to do it, because you are the one who has authority over him.
   He should go through you for all work products, period.
   6. If he does not improve in the amount of time alloted, let him go!
   One person cannot and should not be able to disrupt a whole department.

I know this sounds harsh, but I am sure that your company has procedures in
place to do this. If you want to keep your good writers, and your sanity,
you must apply standards and requirements fairly and consistenly, and all
must adhere to them. He cannot be an exception.

Good luck. This is the "not" fun part of being a manager. You may still be
able to get a decent employee out of this, but I don't think so, sorry to
say.

PT



-- 
PT
pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com
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