A reader writes:
Today, I lost my temper with several employees. I yelled and used profanity, but I did not make any discriminatory remarks. Prior to losing my temper, multiple employees failed to follow my instructions. I reminded them of their employer and expressed my frustration. Unfortunately, my actions escalated, and I became very angry, slamming the door to my office so hard that part of it flew off, nearly hitting a new employee. This resulted in all employees, except one, leaving the office. Despite only yelling at one employee earlier in the day, two of the five who left were not involved in the initial altercation. The situation worsened as the wife of one of the employees began sending negative messages to the entire staff.
I recognize that my behavior was unacceptable, and I deeply regret the potential harm caused by my actions towards our newest employee.
The catalyst for this outburst was a payroll issue regarding two employees who wrote vacation time on their timecards when they left early after working overtime. Their supervisor gave them the option to leave early, but I disagreed with the interpretation of the situation. Despite this disagreement, I recognize that my reaction was disproportionate.
I am still grappling with my anger towards the employees, but I acknowledge that their decision to leave was justified given the circumstances. It is clear that my management style needs improvement, and I am committed to seeking help and learning better strategies for leading my team.
Yelling at employees is never acceptable, and I must address the underlying issues that led to my outburst. Effective managers do not resort to such behavior, as it undermines their authority and damages employee morale.
This incident serves as a wake-up call for me to invest in my managerial skills for the benefit of my business and the well-being of my employees. Failure to address these issues will only lead to more challenges in the future.
It is crucial to understand that walking out was the employees’ way of setting boundaries and asserting their right to a respectful work environment. Apologizing to them is the first step, followed by a commitment to learning and implementing better management practices.
