By the time I heard of Mel, he was somewhat of a legend. He supervised a division of blue collar workers that was unionized and not inclined to like management but he was quite popular.
His style was illustrated by the way he dealt with an employee who repeatedly was late for work. After trying softer approaches, he called in the union representatives and the employee.
"Do you see that man?" he asked, pointing at the employee. "Do you see that man sitting in front of my desk?"
Everyone nodded. The employee, who'd bobbed and weaved through previous counseling sessions, shifted in his chair.
"That man is going to be fired the next time he is late for work." He paused to let his words sink in.
"Now, does everyone understand what I am saying? That man - if late for work again - will be fired."
One of the union representatives explained what later transpired.
"Hey, what could we do? The guy was late for work and he got fired. He deserved it. I'll say this about old Mel. You always knew exactly where you stood."
1 comment:
Mel has the right idea. Too many people go through their working lives with cowardly, back stabbing, two faced bosses. Its really good to read about someone who tells it like it is and then follows through.
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