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Askamanager
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a team whose boss was AWOL for 2 years is angry and resentful now
- After their boss spiraled into a drug addiction crisis post-Covid, a team carried on working for almost two years whilst she was absent, only for chaos to ensue once she finally left.
- It later became apparent that the team had been left unchecked during Beth’s absence. Much overtime had been approved, wiping out the possibility of getting any work done. People who joined the team during her absence received no training, and the good employees have now been overtaken by a ball of hate for the bad workers.
- It’s undoubtedly unfair, and there's no practical way to sort out who did what during that time. However, there may well be a way to recognize those who kept the department running during Beth's tenure, thus giving a heads-up to those happy to see their colleagues face the consequences of their inaction.
- The new manager should talk one-on-one with each team member about their sense of how things are going and what the top priorities for stabilizing the department should be.
- She could ask if anyone was instrumental in keeping the department functioning during Beth’s reign, be openly appreciative of that, and reward initiative, responsibility, and effort accordingly.
- Following that, it’s reasonable to hold everyone to a basic expectation that they operate professionally, regardless of any feelings they may have toward their colleagues, thus avoiding any hard conversations people may not want to have.
- It is very likely that in time, the new manager will get a good feel for who put the work in over the two years and who didn’t. Opportunities should be taken to reward those who carried things.
- In the absence of any practical way of determining exactly who did what during the chaos, recognizing and rewarding those employees instrumental in keeping things going is a far more constructive step than punishing or ignoring those who didn't.
- As much as it's important to recognize good work, the new manager must also ensure everyone operates professionally, regardless of their feelings towards their colleagues. Anyone not adhering to professional standards risks further demoralizing their colleagues.
- In the absence of a practical way of determining who did what when, the new manager needs to recognize the good work of some and move forward to ensure everyone operates professionally, setting standards everyone needs to adhere to.
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