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YOU be the manager!

kranky

kranky

Elite Member
Situation:

A worker in a cubicle farm arranges his dual-monitor system on his desk in such a way that the right screen cannot be seen unless you are right in front of it. This is done by positioning the monitor and the PC so that while passing by the cubicle, you can only see the left monitor.

The application normally in use will take up both screens.

Casual observation reveals the worker is often looking only at the right monitor and nothing is displayed on the left.

What do you do as the manager? Some possibilities:

A. Assume the worker is goofing off 50% of the time that the normal application is not visible on the left screen.

B. More closely measure the work output to ensure an appropriate amount of work is getting done each day. The type of work being done is difficult to measure without a lot of effort. (Think about proofreading as a comparison - if the worker is urged to go faster, more mistakes will slip through. If you don't want any mistakes, you can't rush things. If the work being proofread has a lot of mistakes that need to be caught, it will take longer than if there were very few. It's not easy to measure output.)

C. Tell the worker to rearrange the system so both screens can be visible to people passing by, eliminating the need to consider A and/or B above.

"Do nothing" is not an option.

So what would you do as the manager? It's important to be fair and you don't want the worker to feel picked on.
 
The only "fair" thing to do is B...

A and C make too many assumptions, which may not be correct.


if i may inject option D.... as you are passing by.. and see monitor 2 is blank, inquire as to what the progress of the employees job is... maybe the monitor is turned off, or in "screensaver" mode.

 
Why is "Do Nothing" not an option?

Personally, I'd just let it go until something comes up to indicate he's not performing.

I wish I could arrange my duallies that way. I HATE sitting with my back to the "door"...

amish
 
I'd tell them nicely that it would be preferable to keep both monitors visible at all times. However, it would depend on the worker; if they're generally easygoing and cooperative using this tactic should be easy. If they're a stubborn or combative person it may be worth it to audit their work instead of creating a fuss.
 
I run a Dual Monitor at work...it is the only way I can effectively surf and Monitor our network 😉

Ausm
 
We just moved offices, and some of us (myself included) requested an office configuration so that the monitor is not visible to people passing by. The employees whose monitor faces the doorway, are putting in a request to have it changed. If someone is goofing off all day at work, it will eventually catch up with them. But if I occassionally want to post to ATOT (like right now), I don't need to be looking over my shoulder to see if someone is watching.
 
The application normally in use will take up both screens.
Casual observation reveals the worker is often looking only at the right monitor and nothing is displayed on the left .
Click to expand...
As written, this proves the worker is not running the application, unless by "nothing is displayed" you really mean either "the application is showing on the left screen but does not show any user activity" -or- you forgot the "often" in "will take up both screens."

If the application really isn't showing at all, the polite, face-saving solution is

D. Ask the worker if there is some technical problem with keeping the company application running all day since you noticed they often have exited from it.
 
rh71, the application uses both monitors.

There were various comments to the effect of "if the work is getting done, let it go." As in the example about proofreaders, it is very time-consuming to know for sure if a good effort is being put forth.

In this job, the top performer probably does three times the amount of work of the lowest performer (a new person). What is the measurement for determining "if the work is getting done"? I prefer not to measure one person against another because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. My measuring stick is "is the person doing the best they can do". Should it be something else?

It would take about four hours a week to properly measure the output of this person. Is it worth that amount of time just to make sure they are putting forth effort?
 
My $0.02

If the second monitor consistently has nothing displayed on it, remove it. I'm sure whatever app you have using two monitors can easily be run on one.
 
Originally posted by: bunker
My $0.02

If the second monitor consistently has nothing displayed on it, remove it. I'm sure whatever app you have using two monitors can easily be run on one.
Click to expand...

rolleye.gif
ohh i see just because you dont use it means no one should
rolleye.gif
 
Originally posted by: kranky

It would take about four hours a week to properly measure the output of this person. Is it worth that amount of time just to make sure they are putting forth effort?
Click to expand...

As a manager, I would definitely agree that it is well worth the amount of time to audit an employee's performance if there are continuing signs of possible slacking. If you can establish a definite history of underperformance, then you are obligated to call the employee on it. If, after further investigation, you are satisfied with the employee's output, then you don't have to watch so closely anymore.
 
Originally posted by: Citrix
Can you say Micro-Manage?? :|

if he is getting his work done leave him alone.
Click to expand...

Don't YOU have something better to do then worry about him, if he is not producing that's one thing but if he is getting the job done then perhaps YOU need something else to do. Perhaps You shouldn't be in here posting... now GET BACK TO WORK. 😛
 
there is NO ASSUMPTION choosing C, I would go with that, you are the boss, tell him you want both monitors visible, end of story....
 
Originally posted by: guyver01
The only "fair" thing to do is B...

A and C make too many assumptions, which may not be correct.


if i may inject option D.... as you are passing by.. and see monitor 2 is blank, inquire as to what the progress of the employees job is... maybe the monitor is turned off, or in "screensaver" mode.
Click to expand...

I'm with guyver on this one. If my boss asked me to do C, I would feel a little offended about him making those assumptions about me(even if they were true).😉
 
you would be offended? lol, then I would tell you to get your "offended" ass back to work. Your boss has every right to ask you to do something like that without taking your "feelings" or "perceptions" into consideration. You could always QUIT if you felt so offended...
 
Originally posted by: Alistar7
you would be offended? lol, then I would tell you to get your "offended" ass back to work. Your boss has every right to ask you to do something like that without taking your "feelings" or "perceptions" into consideration. You could always QUIT if you felt so offended...
Click to expand...

I am not saying that i wouldn't do what he asks, because i know he has every right to do so, and i wouldn't expect him to take my "feelings" or "perceptions" into consideration. Offended might not be the exact word I was looking for but it was the first one that came to mind.
 
this sounds more like babysitting than managing. It should be easy to judge output by comparing his/her work now to before the dual monitors were setup this way. I would not like to work in this environment because of the lack of trust.
 
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