My husband,
”
Harry
”
, is a recovering alcoholic. After 27 years in retail
management, he is now working as the assistant manager in a
Goodwill store. Although Harry is a very hard worker, he seems to
be having problems with this job.
Q:
My husband, “Harry”, is a recovering alcoholic. After 27 years in retail management, he is now working as the assistant manager in a Goodwill store. Although Harry is a very hard worker, he seems to be having problems with this job.
Recently, Harry received a verbal warning from his boss because the store was not sufficiently straightened up when he closed the previous night.
Before that, she criticized him for making mistakes with the floor displays. There have also been some questions about inaccurate financial records.
It hurts me to see my husband being treated this way, and I’m beginning to worry that he might be fired.
A:
Watching your formerly successful spouse endure this rather humiliating experience has to be difficult. But to address the problem, you must first determine the cause. There are several possibilities.
If Harry views his Goodwill job as a backward step, he may be tempted to slack off a bit. However, that would be very short-sighted. If he hopes to eventually return to retail, Harry must demonstrate that he can be a conscientious and dependable employee. For example, he needs to find out exactly what “straightening up” means, then create a checklist to ensure that all closing tasks are completed correctly.
Sadly, however, another possibility is that Harry’s history of heavy drinking may have caused some subtle brain damage. If he is having unusual difficulty with tasks that should be easy, a thorough medical exam may be in order.
Finally, the most discouraging explanation for Harry’s slipshod performance is that he has started sneaking drinks at work. For both your sake and his, I hope that is not the case.
Q:
As part of my performance review, I have been asked to write a self-evaluation, which makes me very uncomfortable. For the past eight years, my manager has completed the appraisal form by himself, so this process is new to me. Since I tend to be very self-critical, how do I keep from sabotaging myself?
A:
These days, self-assessments are a standard part of most formal appraisal systems. While they make some people uneasy, they also provide an excellent opportunity to highlight contributions and accomplishments. A performance review is no time for false humility.
One way to make self-praise feel less like bragging is to present it as feedback from others. For example: “People say that I am very organized,” or “I have received several compliments on my customer service.”
When obvious problems must be acknowledged, be sure to describe how you resolved them.
For example: “After losing the Anderson account due to delivery delays, I initiated a review of our order fulfillment system and eliminated several unnecessary steps.”
To reduce your anxiety about the self-appraisal process, simply view it as a chance to tell your boss what you have done this year. After all, if you want him to recognize your achievements, you have to be willing to describe them.
