June 26, 2008Ask Meryl ~ The 8-5-ers don’t get it
Meryl,
I work in an Account Management Department of a company that administers employee benefits and is heavily reliant on client relationships. Account Managers are the Face of the Company to our clients. We are frequently out of the office with clients and oftentimes work late, early, or both, again, with clients. Overnight travel is often required. After a road trip or a late night, the account manager has the flexibility of coming later, going home earlier, and so forth. We are not hourly employees, but rather get the job done regardless of the time needed. During slower times, we enjoy this flexibility. During busy times, we work our tails off.
The rest of the company is essentially an 8 to 5 operation and it has become very popular to ‘bash’ account managers about not being in the office, never in the office, out to lunch, etc. This is hurtful, insensitive and fails to take into account the longer hours often required, working on the road, etc. I need a comeback for those folks who think that if you are not at your desk, then you are not working.
I am sure outside sales people experience similar treatment.
Your thoughts?
Meryl says,
Use the think / feel / want formula.
For example:
When you make comments like that, I think you don’t understand how hard we work on the road. I feel belittled. I want us to respect the challenges and circumstances of each other’s jobs.
You can fill in the thoughts, feeling and request with whatever applies best.
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Pingback by Management Skill Training » when 8-5ers and contract employees colide — June 28, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
Excellent points! Where I work, the hourly employees often don’t understand what the salaried employees are doing because they can’t SEE them at work every day. Hourly employees would do better to accept the fact that salaried employees work differently and leave it at that.
On the other hand, some salaried employees would do well to consider that the hourly employees are very important to the success of the company, too. Salaried employees may not be able to SEE what the hourly employees are doing either.
Hourly employees look at the same four walls every day while the salaried ones who are out of the building have the benefit of a change of scenery. I understand that one company encouraged its traveling employees to return to the office with an attitude of appreciation for the change of scenery. Don’t gripe because you “had to go away.” You had a change of pace, even for a one-day seminar, and the rest of the group stayed behind to do the usual work.
If salaried employees would appreciate the hourly employees as part of the team, just imagine how well we could all get along!
Comment by Iris — July 2, 2008 @ 10:21 am