Most managers have dealt with the needy employee. It’s the staffer who is reluctant to take even the smallest step without reassurance from on high. They constantly ask you to check over their work before it’s finished. Everything must be talked to death before any action is taken.
In The Case of the Needy Employee on Harvard Business Publishing, readers are asked to give their advice on how to handle a situation between Geoff (the employee) and Bernard (his supervisor). Bernard eventually gets fed up with Geoff’s constant need for attention and tells him to use his own judgment to finish a report. Geoff retreats like a spanked puppy.
My first take was to favor Bernard for drawing a line in the sand. But after reading many thoughtful reader responses to this problem, I agree that even if the sentiment was right the execution was a bit ham-fisted. Here’s a sample.
- Sean blames Bernard. “This manager needs to examine why s/he finds this behavior so irritating and give him/herself an attitude adjustment. Many managers would love to have a new employee who produced excellent work and only needed a few minutes of feedback here or there.”
- Tami sees Geoff as a Generation Y employee who by nature needs constant feedback. Bernard needs to appreciate generational differences in his workers.
- Swashbuckler thinks Bernard needs to understand what is motivating Geoff’s attention-craving behavior. Is it insecurity? Maybe it’s how Geoff worked with a former boss. “Whatever the reason is, you need to figure it out before you can move forward. Geoff is obviously a valuable employee so it’s worth the time and effort to solve this problem.”
As a manager or co-worker, how have you handled needy employees? What techniques worked or didn’t work for you?
