Gather the Facts First

Employees face a number of issues at work and often come to their supervisors for assistance or even a solution. Years ago I had a staff member who loved to drop the “hot potato” in my lap and then expect me to deal with it. Eventually I learned to turn it back on her, requiring her to present a solution whenever she had a problem to discuss with me.

One time, during a discussion about her productivity, she told me that she could not get any work done because she was constantly being interrupted by visitors asking her where various departments were located. We worked in a hospital and were situated near a side door, nowhere near the information desk located up front. She suggested I propose to management that a receptionist be hired and stationed at the side entrance. Knowing that any notion that additional staff be hired would need substantial support, I had her track her interruptions for one week. This would give us an idea of how busy this new person would be. How enlightening it was for her to discover that her “constant” interruptions occurred at the rate of just one per hour! This simple strategy resulted in her realizing that interruptions were not the cause of her inefficiency.

Those familiar with CQI – Continuous Quality Improvement – will recognize the need to gather and analyze the data. Assumptions, impressions, and generalizations are not sound bases for making organizational changes or for disciplining employees. One of my greatest mentors taught me to conduct my fact-finding first, and then work out possible solutions. This disciplined approach never let me down over the years.