Bossman is Hinting at Firing Me: THE UPDATE

[WishfulSpirit]

Hey everyone.

So I've drafted an email to my boss, outlining what I think are my problem areas and what I plan to do about them. I'd like your feedback before I send it to him. I've not altered anything except his name. Otherwise what I will send will be exactly this:

Dear <Bossman>

Thank you for being more patient with me than I think I would be with me if I were in your position. I know you know I want to be good at my job, and to provide 10-level service to both our guests and co-workers. In order to demonstrate my commitment (and to help get my thoughts in order) I've listed what I believe, based on my own observation and your feedback, to be my major issues and how I plan to address them. If I have ommitted anything, or you have any other feedback for me, I'm always willing to listen.

Thanks.

How I speak to guests:
• Speak to all guests -- in person or on the phone --with the same respect I'd show my grandmother
• Resolve guest issues according to the HEART paradigm (Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Resolve, and Thank), with special emphasis on the fact that Speculation, Excuses, and Blaming (of people or technology) are NOT part of the HEART paradigm.
• Own issues by taking responsibility for solving the problem myself if I possibly can, and promising the guest a call-back if I do need to speak to management, rather than handing the problem over to a manager.

Cash Handling
• Count the drawer at the beginning of my shift, at a mid-point, and at the end (Dan suggested this)
• Wait for the person relieving me to verify my drop and the drawer count before I leave (on my write-up, this is now possible due to changes in bus schedules)
• Periodically check my drop during down time

Careless mistakes (a feature of ADHD)
I feel I am improving in this area as I find myself feeling more focused and able to stop mistakes before to happen. My goal is to continue to improve by

• Verifying all info (full name, room type, exc) with guests wanting to check in, change rooms, or do anything else that affects the computer system's record of who is where
• Double-check checkin information against the Courtesy Call Back log to ensure all check-ins go through all the way
• take tasks a half-step slower than I feel is needed
• Do one thing at a time
• If I am interrupted, write down what I was doing on a sticky note and return to the task when I am free
• Use sticky notes and the A / B shift checklists to ensure I do not forget To Do List items
• Work with EAP to develop more strategies
• Speak to my doctor about getting back on ADHD medication
• Continue taking an herbal supplement I find helpful

Home and Work Stress

• See my private therapist weekly to develop self-care, life balance, and stress-relief strategies
• Ask to take a walk / sit down for a few minutes if I feel myself becoming frustrated or overwhelmed

How You Can Help

During our last talk, you asked what you could do to help. Here's what I have come up with.

People with ADHD cannot tolerate lack of sleep as well as the neurotypical. I would like to eventually move to a consistent schedule where I work a similar shift all the time. Mid-shift and B shift would be doable (as I would get up and go to bed at about the same time every day), but I am struggling with working A and B. Most of my problems started when I was switched off A exclusively. If possible, I'd like to be put on B, as it tends to be less stressful (at least until I gain more experience).

I would also like the opportunity to learn by example. I'd like to either shadow Erica or simply sit in the lobby and listen to how she deals with guests. I am willing to do this off the clock before or after my shift, as it is not really "work time" and I don't want to hurt your OT numbers. Thanks again. I look forward to working with you for a long time.

-My Name

[RealUnimportant]

As the discussion is likely to move to this post, I'll reply here:

Is ADHD a recognised disability in your area? If so, then they have to make reasonable accommodations and also can't use it as the sole reason for firing you without risking a discrimination suit, so if the only ammo they have against you is related directly to areas that your disability affects, I'd at least consider legal advice if they let you go.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

In my eyes, your willingness to learn and ask for help would make you a keeper. So many people can't be bothered to try to learn the job or do it correctly.

But then again, I'd probably make a shitty manager.

[Sliceanddice]

hmmmmm i like it but i have 1 thing to say.

it might be construed as admitting fault, as i am making these mistakes all the time. While detail is nice this is a situation where the basic idea and information would probably be better..

[EricKei]

I like it ^_^

Slice has a point...or is that the whole point -- Basically addressing faults and establishing a self-correcting plan?

[Cia]

Thank you for being more patient with me than I think I would be with me if I were in your position.

Drop the part in italics. It's disparaging and not necessary.

[icmedia]

As a longtime manager in several different industries, I'd like to say this:

If one of my employees gave me this letter, I'd do everything in my power to help them.

Admitting fault isn't a bad thing-it's a necessity to improvement. Nobody's perfect, and those who always try to exude perfection, never admitting their faults? They'll never become better. Acknowledging your weaknesses and suggesting ways to reduce them shows initiative, self-awareness, and the drive to be the best employee you can be.

Give him that letter. Today. If he doesn't take it as a sign that he's got a great employee, then he's a terrible manager, a terrible person, and you won't be able to do anything to please him.