New Manager Is Stricter And Introducing Changes.

[maninanoffice]

I work for an engineering company and I am office based. We have a new manager in our department, she is a young manager and is very enthusiastic, though it looks like she will be much stricter than our last manager. We all got on well with our previous manager, he was really easy going but probably too easy going. There had been issues where most of us felt he really should have taken some members of staff to task on but I don’t recall him ever doing so.

Our new manager has made it clear to us that she will do just that. In a recent department meeting she stated things like dress code must now be strictly adhered to at all times, she stated some examples such as a collared shirt and a tie must always be worn which applies to most of us as like myself we are mostly male. She also stated that permitted break times must not exceed the allocated 10 minutes. I’ll guess that she stated both of these issues as she will have observed them. Wearing a collared shirt and a tie is part of the dress code but quite a few don’t bother wearing a tie and most of us tend to exceed the allocated break times. She then stated that she will formally discipline any member of staff if they are seen not complying.

This has not gone down well with most though a few take the view that this is exactly what is needed. I’m taking the view that in two different managers, we seem to be going from one extreme to another. I’ll admit that things do need to be tightened up from the way our previous manager ran the department but it’s just that these are what I call small issues that we have got used to and taken for granted for years, yet we get told that not only will we not be able to do things like this, we will now be disciplined for not complying.

Do you think she is managing the department in a good way, is it right to discipline for minor breaches or is this over the top?

[pixie374]

I doubt the dress code is the point. I imagine she'll be strict on everything and then relax those that are unnecessary- and then people feel listened to and stick better with the rules that stayed... :-)

[maninanoffice]

woofgang, I think it would be fair for her to formally discipline staff if it becomes repeated but it seems that she is going to do this straight away if she sees anyone not complying. I thought that for not keeping strictly to a dress code, a quiet but strict word would be appropriate in the first instance. I'm sure you will completely disagree with me.

[Canary42]

In my experience a manager who sticks rigidly to silly rules is a weak manager, unable to really manage, so follows a set of rules to the letter, something a monkey almost could do.

A good manager knows how to be flexible and get the best out of their staff.

But nowadays the colleges etc are turning out wet-behind-the-ears MBA graduates and plunging them into a live environment where they are hopeless.

Management is an art to be learnt by hard experience, not in a phoney academic simulation.

[TonyV]

^^^^
Very succinctly put Canary, I agree.

[maninanoffice]

tonyv 'disciplining staff can mean anything from initially a quite word in the ear, then a verbal warning and then finally a written warning'. I hear what you are saying but she said she would formally discipline anyone which I took to mean attending a hearing where a verbal warning would be given. It's probably worth clarifying, there is a union but I don't think anyone has gone down that route yet.

[woofgang]

She's had the quiet word with you all and publicly. How many times do you expect to be told to do something before you do it? I agree that the dress code may not be needed or appropriate but that is a separate issue. She has been put into the job and her boss has told her what is expected.

[woofgang]

I am not sure what the union will be able to do if there is a dress code requirement in your t's and c's. I am fairly sure they will be able to do nothing about taking extra break time.

[maninanoffice]

pixie374, I think the dress code is one thing that gave as an example. She may well just want to first stamp her authority and may then become more relaxed. I may turn out that everyone does their best to comply with everything she asks for and there will be few if any problems, I'll try and remember to post an update sometime to say how things have gone.

[maninanoffice]

woofgang, I don't believe anyone has took it up with the union, they may be able to ask for a review of the dress code but I think that's about all.

[woofgang]

they'd better do more than their best....as Yoda says
"Do. Do not. There is no "try""

[TonyV]

maninanoffice, I'd be supprised if union were not privy to dress code discussions and may have notes / minutes from meetings, but rather than the past try for an informal meeting, my suggestion of using your tea break as part of the meeting time was purely to show that you are eager to talk about things.

[maninanoffice]

OK tonyv, I get what you are saying and that might well be a good route to take.

[MallyJ]

Workforce not following rules that were set possibly since before they were employed now complaining that they have to follow said rules...really? If everyone had followed the rules and then met with the bosses to discuss them and come to an agreement over relaxing the rules then that would make sense but demanding rules to be changed having not done what they were told to do for ages.... really?? Not a good workforce.

[bednobs]

if you/anyone else is upset with the way things are being managed, you should have applied for the job yourself.

[Peter Pedant]

This is a mgt course essay isnt it
where you have to discuss various styles of mgt
and mgt of change....

[THECORBYLOON]

An easy-oasy manager is fine as long as things go your way but as soon as you want them to be firm but they're not, suddenly they're hopeless and you wonder how they got the job.

[maninanoffice]

jno, I agree that managers who lack the human touch are a complete pain and I've had one or two like that in my time. I don't mind a manager who wants to enforce rules as long as they do that fairly. We aren't public facing so most of us do feel the dress code is outdated but it is one on the examples our manager addressed with us. I was told the dress code has never been updated since it was first drawn up so we should be able to ask for this to be looked at and possibly amended.

[maninanoffice]

Canary42, "nowadays the colleges etc are turning out wet-behind-the-ears MBA graduates", I have seen that and she is a young manager so she could be one of those graduates! I don't know much of this is her doing, she will have observed some of it though she may have been prompted by higher management for so me of this.

[maninanoffice]

bednobs: "if you/anyone else is upset with the way things are being managed, you should have applied for the job yourself". I didn't apply, but a few others did and an outsider was picked. Fair enough if they felt she's the best person for the job!

[woofgang]

" I agree that managers who lack the human touch are a complete pain and I've had one or two like that in my time. I don't mind a manager who wants to enforce rules as long as they do that fairly."

In what way are they not being fair? They have pointed out the rule and what needs to be done, and told everybody what will happen in a case of non compliance. Presumably the people who own/manage the company are happy with the rule and want it to continue?
As for applying for the job, if you are one of the people who isn't adhering to the dress code and is taking excess break time, why would they want to promote you?