How to Manage Employee Personal Problems in the Workplace

We humans are complex beasts. We live, love, hate, befriend, stress, grieve, excite, depress, yearn and everything in between. To make matters worse, we are a potpourri; a hodgepodge buffet of everything so that the best and worst can even occur within the same psyche. 
We are in both an incredibly fantastic web of neurons and a real mess.

Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn't like. He could have easily said the reverse. Paradox, ambiguity, confusion, uncertainty and foolish pride just stir the pot.

We try our best to generalize, stereotype, and simplify but we human beasts defy attempts to 'get figured out'. The same system that allows us to create and accomplish extraordinary feats also allows us to fail and anguish in misery and yet still call it a learning experience or positive cognitive exercise.

Additionally we bring our mixed bag of social evolution and personal circumstance to the workplace. When we walk into the office or punch in we are still the same person even though we may flip the 'work switch' or 'put on the office face.'

When pain and stress enters our personal lives it can spill over into the workplace. The result can be a sour attitude, reduced productivity, lack of cooperation, lack of focus, etc.

Under ideal circumstances we should come to work, be happy we are employed, focus on our tasks and responsibilities and make the business agenda our agenda. At least during work hours.

The demands of the workplace and the demands on our personal lives are putting greater pressures on us and forcing us to look at how we cope and try to maintain a balance.

And throughout it all the frazzled manager has to manage and 'keep the ship afloat.' So you might question are there not some employee tricks and strategies the good manager uses that the bad manager does not?

Good managers know personal problems can make a productive worker useless. The astute manager does not take serious personal problems lightly.

They also know many employees have potential that will never be realized because of personal problems. Some people choose self destructive lifestyles that create a steady stream of problems.

Some even will find relief, meaning and comfort in going to work. These employees bring little value to the company and the best approach is to avoid hiring such character types and consider firing the ones you do have. It's just not fair to your good people.

The good managers know that when an employee has a major personal problem it may be impossible for them to focus on work. They consider giving the employee time off to handle the problem.

Lovers and teenagers are frequently found in this category; being a successful manager is not so much a question of being a sensitive manager as learning how to be a productive one.

Good managers know their people. If an employee is showing a big shift in affect or behavior, the manager takes them aside and discreetly asks if there is a problem. Slight shifts in behavior are normal and we all have them. But major behavioral shifts are not normal and can signify a more fundamental problem.

Good managers show genuine interest, avoid gossip and respect confidentiality. And they avoid playing the hero. Most employees can work out their own personal problems on their own. That is not to say an expression of concern by the manager is not appreciated...

And make it clear that at work business comes first. Without the means to support a family things go sour quickly. As members of a team each employee has to carry their own load...

Good managers also understand that an employee's personal problems are not the manager's personal concern. The concern happens when these problems affect the workplace.

Good managers give the employee time to work through their problems but set a time limit. Some personal problems can never be resolved and the manager should then consider the employee's appropriateness for the position. The company cannot be expected to wait forever.

Consequently good managers support their employee's efforts to solve or resolve their own problems. If their company does not offer employee counseling benefits the good manager at least considers allowing the employee time off.

And finally, the good manager takes care of herself. As a manager, who is going to hold your hand when you need help?

Management titles in business

Management is both art and science. It is the art of making people more effective than they would have been without you. The science is in how you do that. There are four basic pillars: plan, organize, direct, and monitor.

Managers may direct workers directly or they may direct several supervisors who direct the workers. The manager must be familiar with the work of all the groups he/she supervises, but does not need to be the best in any or all of the areas. It is more important for the manager to know how to manage the workers than to know how to do their work well.
A manager may have the power to hire or fire employees or to promote them. In larger companies, a manager may only recommend such action to the next level of management. The manager has the authority to change the work assignments of team members.
A manager's title reflects what he/she is the person who bears the responsibility.
There are many management functions in business and, therefore, many manager titles. Regardless of title, the manager is responsible for planning, directing, monitoring and controlling a group of individuals, monitoring their work, and taking corrective action when necessary.
Business Management at first place is a set of processes that helps organizations optimize business performance. It is focused on business processes such as planning and forecasting. It helps businesses discover efficient use of their business units, financial, human and material resources.

An Accounting Manager supervises the Accounting function. An Operations Manager is responsible for the operations of the company. The Manager of Design Engineering supervises engineers and support staff engaged in design of a product or service.
There's a detailed plan behind every product that is sold. Advertising, marketing, and public relations managers are the brains behind those strategies. They use market research and employ various techniques in order to develop, promote, and sell their clients' products and services. The first aim is to target the right audience; advertising managers are in charge of creating and placing ads; and public relations managers use subtler methods to get the word out.
Marketing majors learn how to create and sell those products and services in ways that will build a large and loyal group of customers. They are accustomed to discover the special something that people want and how to convince them that their product has it.
Of course, the roles of these professionals overlap, and their goal is the same: to earn bigger profits. With tools such as advertisements, brochures, and websites, they can make the difference between a success and a flop

Screening Tenants is Important | What to Look for in Your Rental Tenants

Managing properties is an important responsibility and the wrong approach can have detrimental effects on the tenants that end up moving into your properties.  If you want to be successful, you have to have the right people living in your rental properties. Landlords and real estate agents all have their own style in how we show the rental property. Having that said, we all need to be very aware of certain signs to watch for when evaluating your prospective new tenants, as this will have a major affect in the future of your rental.

Obviously, ideal tenants would be those that will:

• Willingly take on the responsibility of keeping the property in tip-top shape.
• Always pay their rent on time, if not early.
• Are very responsible and care of the property as if they owned it.

Having tenants with these qualities will make your job a whole lot easier. Not to mention your property being in good hands.
Now, if you have less than ideal tenants in your rental units, your job is likely going to be more stressful than it should be. Your bad tenants' tendencies will affect your finances and can start to burden the relationship between you and the tenants; this type of scenario does not usually have a happy ending.

It will not take long for you to realize having bad tenants is never an ideal situation. The best way to avoid this is utilizing a screening process that is thorough in addition to using good ol' common sense.

The Detrimental Effects of Having Bad Tenants

Let's imagine that you have current tenants who are not holding up their end of the agreement. In order to get them out, an eviction would have to take place. Evictions can be costly (average is $3,500 and can run as high as $10,000). What's worse are tenants that ‘skip' out on and cost you big time. According to TransUnion the average cost per ‘skip' tenant is almost $2,000.
These costs can add up quickly and be very disturbing if you manage a lot of units. Taking the time to make sure you are placing great tenants in your units will avoid any headaches in the near future and unexpected expenses on your end.
While you do have to put some money into the screening process to get started, the expense is well worth it if it means having amazing tenants and less stress for you.