Yesterday my son went to mow a neighbors lawn who can’t do it themself.
When he got there, our lawn mower died and wouldn’t start.
I stopped what I was doing and went and helped. We got it working.
5 minutes after I got home the lawn mower ran out of gas.
I stopped what I was doing and brought him gas.
Talk about a productivity killer.
A couple weeks ago I got a text from a friend Lanny:
“My OFS productivity dropped…a lot. What do I do?”
He caught the OFS working for someone else on his time.
He knows the OFS has overcharged him for hours.
But…he also knows the OFS is a really good designer and he wants to keep him.
My advice was
Confront him about it. Tell him the evidence.
a. You know he hasn’t been honest
b. You know he’s working elsewhere on your time
Ask What and Why and How.
– Why are you cheating me?
– What do you want to do about it? Keep working for me and be honest? Me let you go and I find someone else?
– How do you propose we move forward?
Yesterday I texted Lanny to follow up.
“He has gotten better! Thanks for the advice.”
They worked it out. Lanny didn’t have to recruit someone new. The OFS is being honest and his productivity is back up to normal.
If your OFS productivity has dropped, ask What and Why and How.
– I noticed your productivity is down. Why?
– What can I do to help you?
– How do you propose we move forward?
Let them know you need them to be productive. You’re unlikely to offend them. You’re more likely to build trust.
John