Sorry to resort to profanity. This is my first OP and while I’m rather new, I value this group’s opinion. Help me to understand my rage. Am I over-reacting? A control freak? My job is giving me hives. Here goes:
I work for a small “service provider”. Weve got a handful of sales representatives to go out and tout our glories and reel 'em in, so to speak. I work as part of the administrative staff. We have these monthly status meetings where the reps are required to complete Task X, an Excel report. I dont want to divulge too many details, put simply it is a report each rep completes telling of his latest accomplishments, etc. The point is this, Task X is required of the reps every month. For one full year now they have had to turn this in.
The first few months we began this, naturally, there were some learning curves. Some grasped it quicker than others, thats fine. I made myself available to assist them, as I am the person who takes Task X and compiles it into one large report to distribute at the monthly meeting. After four months of fixing theire mistakes for them, email reminders (remember to do this, etc.), answering the same questions every month [asked by the same rep even, apparently sales folk don’t like to write anything down] I decided to call a training meeting. I should note here that at that time they had no manager, or else I would have instituted his help. As I said, we’re small, so the President/CEO was acting as their manger. As I am the assistant to the President/CEO, that means that for all intents and purposes, I was their manager.
Meeting time: I had handouts, I went through the process step by step, went through each column of the report explaining what it was for and what should be in it, I instructed them to take notes and ask questions. After the last questions, I ask them “Are you all clear on what Task X should look like the next time you hand it in to me?” Nods, assurances, oh yes, crystal clear. Groovy. Because, I swear, if I get another email with Task X in the subject line from you folks, I’m gonna blow a gasket.
Ok that last part I said to myself.
The next two times they do Task X, they had improved. I was pleased, not nearly as many corrections, and they seemed familiar enough to stop asking me questions. I’m thinking we’re on the uphill path. But then two more months go by and they’re back to being as screwed up as ever. WTF??? All the usual lazy mistakes: columns transposed, irrelevant items, things that were on last months Task X that should have been taken off, 5 different fonts, etc.
This happened right around the time that we hired real manager for them. He had instituted some new practices, some new “attitudes” to help them stay in the “selling” mode I suppose. [They’re a sad little team, they’d needed a boost. We have barely 3 new sales each month between them.] Apparently one of their new practices was to shag Task X and spend no effort on it whatsoever.
Instead of beating a dead horse AGAIN with each rep individually I went to Manager, explained the situation. I offered to give him copies of the final product of Task X that is distributed by me each month, and copies of what they send to me. Then I asked that he pass them out to his reps and they can have a better feel for what it should contain/look like. He stated that he would be glad to hand those out, but that I should not hold my breath. He “knows” sales folk and they loathe paperwork. They are “People People” so reports and such do not interest them.
Please tell me that some jaws are dropping out there, because mine about shattered when it hit the floor. Who gives a flying fuck if “interests” them??? It’s part of their fucking JOB. Wah wah wah, go cry to mommy, I don’t wanna hear it. This ain’t kindergarten!
Interestingly enough, after he gave the reps their copies, they improved DRAMATICALLY. I mean they were near-perfect. I even sent out an email telling them how proud I was of them. [It wasn’t condescending, I was genuinely impressed] Then inevitably, Task X starts going to shit AGAIN. I tell Manager. Again he gives me “Sales people no like paper” and blows me off.
Next logical step, go to HIS Manager. The President/CEO. So we call a meeting where the three of us are together, and Manager gives me this shpiel about how he wants to make it less stressful for me so he’s going to personally edit all the Task Xs first, before they are forwarded to me. This way they will be perfect when I get them. CEO is satisfied, I’m stunned, skeptical, and wait for them to start rolling in. Well not two weeks alter, here they come. And they are just as crappy as they ever were. Far from surprised, I take a deep breath. I call one of the reps and confirm if Manager has edited their reports this time around. I am told that yes, he has. WTF???
Manager was not in the office that day so I sent him an email. I was polite, courteous, I kept my rage in check wonderfully. I started off asking what it was that he edited on the reports. Then I told him that with one particular reps report, there’s a trick where you have to layout the past 6 months worth of Task Xs to compare what has been on there already, and what doesn’t need to go on this months, because he refuses to delete ANYTHING. Lot of extra work that would not be necessary if the reps would just do the report accurately. But as I have already held meetings and given reminders to them, to no avail, this is the work that is required before it gets to the Monthly Meeting. Then I asked him to get back to me if he has questions about what to do.
A week goes by and I get no response from Manager. Then one day this week I get an email from one of the reps asking to meet with me to go over the Task X process and to be trained on the proper way to present it. Manager had apparently forwarded MY email to all the reps telling them to set a time with me individually to learn the proper way to create Task X. OH I DON’T FUCKING THINK SO.
So I rattle off another email to Manager, first of all addressing the first email that he never responded to. Second I said that one of the reps wanted to be retrained, and I told him that lack of understanding or knowledge was not the problem in this case, so I would not be wasting any more of my time doing so. It’s been 12 MONTHS since this simple 7 column report was brought to their attention. If they still fail to grasp the concept then we have a serious learning disability to contend with, re-training will just prove futile.
OK, turning down a simple request for information is not cool, and I would be ashamed of myself in any other scenario, BUTT, There is NO GODLY REASON that these folks don’t have this down by now. NONE. Manager replies to my email saying that I am confrontational and my “tone” offends him and that it doesn’t cost a thing to be nice. So why can’t I just be nice and make the time to retrain each rep individually? He says Im making a big to-do out of nothing. He says if someone is making a mistake, that means they don’t understand what you want, they’re not trying to be difficult. He says and I quote: “we should do everything we can to make the sales rep’s job easier” By “we” of course he means ME. And what I want to ask you guys here today is: WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I??? WHAT MAKES THEM SO DAMNED SPECIAL??? There are 20 other employees here who are written up for not doing their jobs, but OH not the Sales Force!!! They’re GODS GIFT!!!
We ended up having a one-on-one private meeting the next day in which I said I see no reason why they can’t complete that task. If they keep doing it shoddily, WHEN is the time to reprimand? When is the time for “behavior correction” or whatever other PC term you wanna use?? Manager says to me: sales people will do as they please, they need the space and time to be CREATIVE. Paperwork does not excite them, and it never will. It’s up to us now {again, the Royal ME} to just go behind and fix whatever they can’t do themselves.
PLEASE please please someone tell me this man is a crock of shit! I have never in my short 29-year life heard such inanity, spoken with such conviction. How can you explain them doing it properly, then not, then then doing it NEAR-PERFECT, then sloppy? They KNOW how to do it, they just REFUSE TO. I said to him: Look, I’m from the school where if something is assigned to me, and its unfamiliar, then I’ll keep notes or a checklist and every time I have to complete that assignment, I’ll make doubly sure that I’m as close as I can be to having it done properly. I’ll ask questions, and I’ll write down the answers and keep them with those notes. It’s called EFFORT. He says to me that I’m just overly-structured, and sales people never are, so I need to embrace their individuality. I wanted to puke.
I embrace individuality as much as the next person, but I EXPECT you to not be a lazy motherfucker while you are at work. We’re payin you GOBS of money (they’re not on commission here, it’s a FAT straight salary) the least you can do is what’s required of you. You certainly can’t SELL for shit, so you have LOTS of time to do this ONE LOUSY REPORT.
So I said my peace, Manager said his. I don’t agree with it, but at least I know I wont get anywhere by continuing to stress myself out over it. Do you think I need to involve the CEO in the situation? Update him on the happenings?? I mean since Manger LIED to his face and said he’d do all the work. I’m really grossed out, and exhausted, by all of this. Thanks and sorry this was so long and drawn-out.
