59
Putting an End to a Direct Report's Personal Use of Equipment

STRATEGY

Some employees consider office supplies and the machines required for their work as available for their personal use. If paper‐clip pilfering adds up, imagine the hidden costs for the worker who thinks “job ownership” means personal use of the firm's copiers, computers, postal machines, telephones, and anything else that plugs into an outlet. When the employee is a highly valued and productive subordinate, some managers look the other way, but this only encourages more of the same. Eventually personal use of equipment may become so rampant orders will come down from above to crack down hard. That's why it's essential to stop such problems before they attract attention from upstairs.

TACTICS

  • Attitude: You'll be dealing with behavior you've observed so you can be confident. Be understanding in your approach, since the issue is one people easily rationalize as a job perk, not a problem.
  • Preparation: The essential element of preparation is validating that abusive behavior is taking place. Your firsthand observations are often enough. But the more effectively you can corroborate those observations with tangible evidence, the more confident you can be of controlling the dialogue and ending the problem.
    Flow diagram depicting a course of action for 59. Putting an End to a Direct Report's Personal Use of Equipment with an opening statement, situations, and responses.
  • Timing: Gathering tangible evidence will mean a stronger case, but also more time. When ready, meet at the end of the day. This provides a night of thoughtful reflection and eliminates the potential for day‐long gripe sessions with other employees.
  • Behavior: Project confidence and authority from behind your desk. Have any back‐up materials clearly visible and peruse them before speaking. Be authoritative and direct but not necessarily angry. You don't want to alienate a productive employee, but you can't ignore their behavior either.

ADAPTATIONS

This script can be modified to:

  • Deal with the worker who borrows personal and professional materials from fellow workers.

KEY POINTS

  • Be prepared to cite specific incidents based on observation and documentation.
  • Do not link the problem to the individual's job performance unless it applies.
  • Stay focused on the behavior as a cost factor.
  • Be exact in regard to how the problem will be monitored.
  • Be clear what the result will be if the problem persists.