MANAGER SLAMS THE DOOR.

Byline: Ken Lloyd On the Job

Q Top management in our company frequently tells us how available they are, and they place major importance on their open-door policy. I went to senior management for a particular problem, and my boss blew up at me for doing this. Did I do something wrong?

J.S.

A You took advantage of the company's open-door policy, your manager blew up at you, and you want to know if you did something wrong? What's wrong with this picture?

In the first place, it is unacceptable for your manager to blow up at you, period. And, the fact that he did so after you met with senior management leads to two key points: He is not going to be winning any gold medals in management, and secondly, with a manager like this, it is not surprising that you used senior management's open-door policy.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that many companies with open-door policies expect the employees to try to initially resolve issues or concerns by going to their direct supervisor and use the open-door policy only if they are unable to achieve satisfaction at that level. Typically, if you approach senior management with a problem that your own manager can resolve, it is unreasonable to expect senior management to hear you out before suggesting that you deal first with your manager and then come back to senior management if the issue remains unresolved.

Since you have an exploding manager, senior management may find many employees from your department coming to them rather than to him. If this is indicative of his overall managerial skill, senior management may consider a different open door for him.

Q There is a person in our department who recently received his MBA, and now all we hear is how this or that issue was handled in his classes. Although he is the only MBA in the group, we are all highly educated and experienced, and we are tired of listening to this. How do we deal with him?

T.K.

A It sounds like your colleague must have missed the MBA classes in behavioral science, particularly the sessions that focused on communication, team-building and interpersonal relations. He also sounds like he is insecure and, when in doubt, he is hiding behind this degree.

However, before taking any action to deal with him, there are a couple of questions for you and your associates to answer first. For example, is it possible that any of you might be jealous because he has an MBA and you do not? Secondly, is it possible that you can learn anything from him when he relates real-world problems to the classes that he took in the MBA program?

Depending upon your answer to these questions, you can certainly meet with him to jointly discuss the ways that all of you can work more productively together. Within such a context, you can give him some feedback regarding his specific behaviors, as well as solicit feedback from him regarding yours. This will actually be similar to the MBA classes that he may have missed.

Q The owner of our company recently hired his son to work here in a very senior position. His background in this field is marginal, and he has an abrasive personality. Many of us have been here a long time, and the company always had an atmosphere like a family, but we are thinking of leaving because of him. What should we do now?

S.F.

A It is ironic that a company can have a family atmosphere until a family member is hired. The fact is that a family business needs to be based on business, rather than on family. When these priorities are reversed, the whole company can move in reverse.

If you are certain that the owner's son lacks the wherewithal to handle the job, and that his abrasiveness is not a reaction to some resentment by you and your fellow employees, your best option is to meet with the owner.

Tell him that placing his son in this position is grossly unfair . . . to his son. It is important for the owner to see that by putting him in a job far over his head, his son is extremely likely to fail. In fact, his son's abrasiveness may already be a reflection of his uncertainty in the job.

You should suggest some positions that seem to be more appropriate for his son, whether within the company or on the outside. The owner is about to let you know the role of family and business in this family business, and this will help you figure out what to do from here.