Lifescripts, 3rd Edition

54Putting an End to a Direct Report's Personal Telephone and Internet Use

STRATEGY

Some employees consider office telephones and internet connections 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, printers, computers, postal meters, telephones, and anything else that plugs into an outlet. When the employee is a highly valued and productive individual some managers look the other way, but this only encourages more of the same. Eventually, personal use of equipment may become so rampant that 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 because the issue is one that employees easily rationalize as a job perquisite, 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.

  

• Timing: Gathering tangible evidence will mean a stronger ...