Struggling with Office Discipline: How Do You Balance Authority and Harmony?

Greetings to all seniors, I am facing a major issue in my office while handling the HR department. The issue is that my company's Director wants me to maintain discipline in the office, and there are a few people who are creating problems for me. The directors have asked me to be strict regarding discipline matters. However, when I am strict, those individuals go and complain about me to the directors, which creates further issues. On the other hand, if I handle things with ease, the directors complain about the lack of discipline.

There are other senior individuals who want to interfere in my work and try to take over my decision-making rights. Out of the five directors, only one supports me. Please help me with advice on how to handle these situations! I am eagerly waiting for a response.

Take the support of "1" director and based on that support, try to gain the support of the other "4" directors if possible. Otherwise, seek the support of the majority of directors.

Understanding the Lack of Support

My first question for you is, why are the other four directors not supporting you? Have you ever thought about it? Have you analyzed it? Try to find a valid answer for this. Sit down with the director who supports you, if possible, and try to make him understand your situation.

The Importance of Management Support

An assignment that has been given to you is a very difficult task that cannot be accomplished without the support of top-level management. Make sure you are comfortable and fully prepared before implementing anything. Try to get the other four directors to understand your position with the help of your supportive director before taking any action.

A Universal Challenge

The problem you have mentioned here is a universal phenomenon that cannot be avoided; it exists everywhere. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your leadership qualities. Take it positively and work smartly.

Hard work alone may not suffice here, so work smartly and think before you act. Good luck.

Regards,
M. Kannan

I totally agree with the comment of Mr. M. Kannan. You need to first find the reason for not supporting you. Only then can you proceed to take any action because in any organization, change cannot exist unless there is support from your top management.

The Importance of Communication in Resource Management

To solve any issue, communication is very important. If you are hired to manage resources, clearly communicate the problems caused by other employees to the management. Ask them to grant you the authority to resolve the issue on your end (as they expect from you). If you have been tasked with managing resources, you should have the necessary authority to address any misconduct.

The first step is to earn the trust of your management by following their instructions and then work on persuading them.

Regards

Hi Lakshika, usually, this happens with low or high, such problems arise for everyone. But, according to me, as an HR person, you need to be calm and positive in your tasks/targets. I can understand your situation and can imagine the way you are working.

Understanding Your Role

My suggestion would be, first of all, let's understand your role with all the descriptions. Make a list of important things you are performing. Try to understand on which matters your co-staff are against you. Are there any misunderstandings between your way of working and their way of understanding? If possible, review your decisions. Perhaps, in such decisions, they may feel hurt. If yes, try to have a clear dialogue with them. Present your correct ways and clear intentions of working to them. Slowly, they will start to understand you. Initially, you will feel uncomfortable, but once you understand their thinking, you can use the correct methods to convey your thoughts. I think you must try this; it will definitely work.

Handling Bosses and Co-Staff

Regarding your bosses, at this level, don't try to convince them. As time passes and once your co-staff are in favor of you, the other bosses will automatically change their views towards you.

Try this and experience the change in attitude because in your future career, you will have to face such problems. So, try to develop yourself to handle them.

For any help, you may write to me at [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons].

Best wishes and regards,

Atul S. Malve

Expectation and Communication in the Workplace

I think the problem here is more along the lines of expectation and communication. What do the Directors expect of the employees? Better productivity, less absenteeism/tardiness, more involvement in making things more efficient (cost-effective as well as quality), and more positive responses to customer demands/inquiries, or similar issues. You don't know how to play the game unless you know the rules.

Similarly, you can communicate the expectations of the Directors to the lower levels, including supervisors, who should become your allies. Greater communication of expectations, and the administration of discipline if those expectations are not met, will make the supervisor's job easier.

Should the employees complain to a Director, the Director should inform the employee that he endorses your actions and, in fact, has developed the list of expectations with you and the other Directors. Seeing that the historical avenues of redress have been closed, and in fact, the Director is siding with you, the employee has two choices: abide by the new rules or leave the company.

Finally, do not be afraid to impose discipline on those employees who seek to challenge your authority. If the Company has a set of Rules for Good Order, enforce them in an even-handed manner. Discipline is designed as a corrective measure, not a punitive response to an employee's disregard of the rules, especially if the violation is minor.

In those cases, discipline should be "progressive," starting with informal counseling, then, with each successive violation of the rules, formal counseling with documentation of the event placed in the employee's file, a formal letter of reprimand, one-day suspension with pay, three-day suspension, and finally, suspension subject to discharge.

In major cases, such as gross insubordination, fighting, possession of alcohol and/or drugs, destruction of Company property, theft, and the like, immediate termination is warranted. In any situation involving termination, an immediate investigation of the facts and circumstances should be undertaken to sort out the facts, rather than rely on fiction, to determine whether the suspension should be turned into a termination or reversed and permit the employee to return to work.

Hope this has been helpful.

Regards,
PALADIN

You must understand that as an HR personnel, you cannot please everyone, not even all of the directors at once. However, it will be like shooting in the dark without knowing which director you are directly accountable to.

So, before I suggest any solutions to help you with your issue, could you please indicate whether you are answerable to the director who supports you or any one of the other four directors who oppose your actions?

Thank you.

Dear Lakshika, you must understand that as an HR professional, you cannot please everyone, not even all the directors at once. However, it will be like hitting in the dark without knowing which director you are directly answerable to.

Accountability and Support

So, before I suggest any solutions to help you with your problem, please indicate whether you are accountable to the director who supports you or any one of the other four directors who oppose your actions.

Mind it, some superiors have dual policies to get things done by manipulating juniors and then condemning them to make others feel good about themselves. Therefore, you need to be cautious about such superiors.

Greetings to all seniors, I am facing a major issue in my office while handling the HR department. The issue is my company's Director wants me to maintain discipline in the office, and there are a few people who are creating problems for me. The directors have asked me to be strict regarding discipline matters. However, if I am strict, they go and complain about me to the directors, which creates further issues. On the other hand, if I handle things with ease, the directors complain about the lack of discipline.

Moreover, there are other senior individuals who want to interfere in my work and take over my decision-making authority. Out of the five directors, there is only one who supports me. Please help me with how to handle these situations!

Waiting for your reply.

Thank you.

There seems to be subjectivity in the concept of discipline, adherence to discipline, and penalties for indiscipline. Define all these, get it ratified by all directors, and there will be fewer problems.

Steps to Address Discipline Issues

In short, what you need to do is define policies and rules relating to indiscipline, get them signed by all directors, communicate the rules with all employees, and then strictly implement the rules.

Addressing HR Office Discipline Issues

I'm reading that there are several issues in the HR Office needing discipline and Directors not supporting you. What are the issues that require discipline? Are they all the same? What has been your approach with each person at the onset of the issue? How did you get to the point where people require discipline?

Can you have a one-on-one discussion with each individual and ask them what's going on? Be prepared for the answer! Is there something that you may need to change about the way certain things are done or not done? It's hard to advise when I don't know how you and your team work.

Understanding Team Dynamics

What are the team goals? How does the team work together? What are the "ground rules"? Is there a team meeting? What are the rewards for the team in performing well and exceeding expectations? What does the team think about the "issue of discipline or poor performance"?

Perhaps the second issue with the directors could become less of an issue when the team is working well together. If you want to di

Navigating HR Challenges: Balancing Employer and Employee Needs

Our HR job itself is a challenging role. We are beholden to both the employer and the employee, as we must sometimes support the employer and other times advocate for the employee. Working with machines is easier than working with people. Our job is to "deal" with individuals. Therefore, a primary requisite qualification is flexibility and patience.

Communicating Employment Ethics

Convene a meeting with your staff and explain to them the ethics of employment to maintain their self-esteem. Also, make it clear to them that at this stage and position, nobody needs to be taught office manners. Identify the outlier and address the issue.

Handling Disagreements with Directors

The directors may not always be in agreement with you. Remember, you are simply carrying out your duties. If employees do not show improvement, leave them to their fate and commence disciplinary proceedings, if necessary. Ensure that you explain your actions to all of your directors if they require justification.

Exploring New Opportunities

Lastly, if you feel confident in your ability to carry out HR responsibilities, consider exploring other job opportunities.

Best of Luck.

Regards,
Yagniah K
Manager - HR
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]