How to deal with with a bad co-worker in a small company?

[Fern]

-snip-
If I go to my boss and tell him what's going on, it won't make this guy become a more competent worker. The best case scenario is if he gets fired.

Go easy on trashing the other guy. You're primarily selling this as an opportunity to get new biz for the CEO/owner.

If you're successful you'll likely want to stay. If you're unsuccessful he probably won't mind you leaving anyway.

Fern

 

[dr150]

Go direct to the CEO and/or as high up as you can get in that guy's direct chain of command and have a one-on-one to discuss how this new guy is absolutely destroying credibility for the company and how he treats co-workers.

The CEO won't take kindly to any of this and can correct his behavior.

IF the CEO ignores you and puts up with this guy's shens, then you know what kind of company you are in and should look at your options if your mental psyche warrants it.

 

[Ns1]

Go direct to the CEO and/or as high up as you can get in that guy's direct chain of command and have a one-on-one to discuss how this new guy is absolutely destroying credibility for the company and how he treats co-workers.

The CEO won't take kindly to any of this and can correct his behavior.

IF the CEO ignores you and puts up with this guy's shens, then you know what kind of company you are in and should look at your options if your mental psyche warrants it.

+1

 

[mikegg]

On several occasions I have only barely by the skin of my teeth held my tongue regarding a couple of co-workers and both times I've been very glad for it, one very recently. No matter how crystal clear a situation seems to you--and in fact is (my recent event was over a guy proving over multiple months [via email] he's inept and even lying to me)--it doesn't mean you'll still get what you want.

Politics can make people do stupid things. Particularly if Boss 1 has hired Boss 2 into his position it's always going to be very difficult to get Boss 1 to deal with Boss 2 even when Boss 2 absolutely deserves it. It's a tightrope you cannot always stay on trying to more or less call out Boss 2 but also staying on his good side since you have to keep working with him (which is basically your situation now).

So my only advice is it's tricky and if in doubt whatsoever, don't hit that send button. Hopefully somebody else has more concrete advice than this, though!

Here's an email I received from him recently. You can see that even in his aggressive email towards me, he can't form a complete sentence and use proper etiquette. This is pretty much how he talks to customers maybe in a slightly nicer tone.

I nearly flipped out when I first read this. I was about to send some nasty things in his way but thought better of it so I came here to breathe.:|

 

[Ns1]

LOL at least he didn't say "ur"

he's got the twitter typing filter on, yet ends his email with "Best".

 

[Red Squirrel]

AK47 in each hand, spare clips in your coat. You'll even get to be on TV! Best thing is you can just go to Walmart to buy everything you need... and return it after! 'murika fuck yeah! :biggrin:

In seriousness, if he's a director then he's probably above you which means anything you try to do will backfire, so it's best to just let it be. Document everything and cover your butt for everything. It really sucks to be in a situation like that. Sometimes the only option is to start a job search. When I worked as a L3 server tech at one of our customer sites the IT manager there was more or less my boss, and he was not only a really big idiot when it came to IT, but he was an asshole. I put up with his abuse for a good 3 years then I found a better position within my company and got out of there. I was looking outside the company as well at the time but there was not much available other than trades and industrial stuff. Trades is probably going to be my fallback if ever my company makes cut backs as there's not much in IT/telecom here.

 

[mikegg]

LOL at least he didn't say "ur"

he's got the twitter typing filter on, yet ends his email with "Best".

That's his auto signature. He's actually too lazy to send regards at the end of his email messages.

 

[KaOTiK]

shit in his locker

 

[IndyColtsFan]

No, he's "director" of sales. CEO is my boss. But really, "director" doesn't mean much in a 4 person office.

That's my favorite thing about small companies -- the title inflation. I always used to get a laugh when I would go to training and there would be "Directors of IT" in the class with me. Translation: they were the ONLY IT guy.

 

[Doppel]

That's his auto signature. He's actually too lazy to send regards at the end of his email messages.

Wow, his permanent sig he can't even be bothered to have anything but Best, who does that?

 

[Farang]

I feel for you.. I'm in almost the same situation (even down to the email style). My solution is I'm going to branch off and start my own company. My business has very little overhead. The Director of Sales has no good clients (I'm a recruiter, and a good client is one where you've bypassed HR--he has none of those so I provide little value to candidates as a result). I came from a bigger firm so I saw a lot of clients in the area--the ones he brings in are mostly the shit clients that everyone in town has and makes a low priority. I'm pretty confident in a week I could get as quality of a client base as he has currently.

It's finding people that's the hard part.. yet I close a $20k deal, give $10k to him and $3k to the company. Why don't I just go get the $20k myself

 

[mikegg]

I feel for you.. I'm in almost the same situation (even down to the email style). My solution is I'm going to branch off and start my own company. My business has very little overhead. The Director of Sales has no good clients (I'm a recruiter, and a good client is one where you've bypassed HR--he has none of those so I provide little value to candidates as a result). I came from a bigger firm so I saw a lot of clients in the area--the ones he brings in are mostly the shit clients that everyone in town has and makes a low priority. I'm pretty confident in a week I could get as quality of a client base as he has currently.

It's finding people that's the hard part.. yet I close a $20k deal, give $10k to him and $3k to the company. Why don't I just go get the $20k myself

This is exactly the reason why Valve has their no manager, everyone evaluate everyone policy. Makes me want to work for Valve really bad.

One nutcase can ruin the whole team chemistry. When you work with stupid, lazy, incompetent workers, it drains everything out of you.

 

[Farang]

This is exactly the reason why Valve has their no manager, everyone evaluate everyone policy. Makes me want to work for Valve really bad.

One nutcase can ruin the whole team chemistry. When you work with stupid, lazy, incompetent workers, it drains everything out of you.

I've been on teams where that could work. But managers can be useful in calling people to account. At the same time the worst managed teams I've been on have been ones that were calling the absolute wrong people to account, and therefore increased tensions further.

I imagine it depends on industry as well, games developers are probably passionate about their work and have an inherent interest in a quality product. Maybe not so at a life insurance company.

 

[AdamK47]

The email isn't that bad.

 

[mikegg]

The email isn't that bad.

Yea it's not that bad but this is pretty much how he talks to customers. We put a lot of work into preparing sales presentations. I always get this feeling that he fucks up half of them by his terrible email etiquette. We're not the only company that provides this kind of service. Most customers will go through several sales pitches from different vendors before choosing. They'll find small little things to not hire you.


And when he does this shit with the CEO in the email chain, it gets me fired up. What's the reason for embarrassing me like that in an email? It's not like he's some hot shot. He hasn't closed a deal in months.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Email him back, "I'm not your man, bro."

 

[RossMAN]

MacBaine style.

 

[Brigandier]

Email him back, "I'm not your man, bro."

I'm not your bro, comrade.

 

[dr150]

Yea it's not that bad but this is pretty much how he talks to customers. We put a lot of work into preparing sales presentations. I always get this feeling that he fucks up half of them by his terrible email etiquette. We're not the only company that provides this kind of service. Most customers will go through several sales pitches from different vendors before choosing. They'll find small little things to not hire you.


And when he does this shit with the CEO in the email chain, it gets me fired up. What's the reason for embarrassing me like that in an email? It's not like he's some hot shot. He hasn't closed a deal in months.

Dude. Talk to the CEO. Don't be a pussy.

You know how many ultra Sr. Execs I've talked to to get shit done? They DO listen and you cut thru the bullshit politics with lower level fuck-ups.

End of story.

 

[bononos]

Dude. Talk to the CEO. Don't be a pussy.

You know how many ultra Sr. Execs I've talked to to get shit done? They DO listen and you cut thru the bullshit politics with lower level fuck-ups.

End of story.

Yeah if the CEO is as reasonable as he says, it should be ok to go above his boss's head.

 

[OverVolt]

I think you should be direct and say your peace, without being mean or trivial.

Just say "I think when you are too casual sometimes it costs us customers" without being a dick or trying to make it into a big deal. Whatever the response is, just don't instigate. You said your peace, eh?

Take a stand above the petty little drama that happens in small groups, and just be direct but don't really instigate. Maybe after a meeting just say what you are thinking and leave it at that. "I don't think he liked the casual greeting." He will either think about it later and get it, or not. You don't have to drill it into his head for him. Try and get him to come to the conclusion himself.

If you corner him in an argument, he will stick to "his side" of the argument and never change.