Update...
Roughly 2 months into the job and I've fired 3 people (1 for sleeping, one for ongoing poor job performance and one for drinking). The rest of the crew considers this a favor to them as they were dead weight. I've worked my ass off for them and earned their respect. Now in return they're working their asses off for me. The campus is showing a marked improvement and as a result the customer relations have become more pleasant.
I've made progress in a few areas.
The first was getting the route techs to do things right. I started by making up daily cleaning schedules to get the details on a specific rotation. I even made laminated daily work charts for their closets and carts. This allows for accountability and prevented them from being overwhelmed by a laundry list of things to do... I also, helped them out any way I could and took the time to show them how I wanted it done.
For the first 2 weeks I rode them hard and while I was getting them to catch up on the stuff they weren't doing I identified my attitude problems and corrected them. Those that couldn't or wouldn't get on board are gone. We seem to have a pretty good team at the moment. Morale is as high as I've seen it.
I also talked with the management about creating some junior leadership positions that get at least some people some extra cash. I framed the argument in a way that benefIts the company as much as the employee. The position also creates a career path of sorts and should make my job easier, while helping with morale and retention. I've been approved but I'm waiting to hear back on how many I can promote and how much per hour. I even built a sweet ass spread sheet to calculate the cost for them prior to the meeting... They're reviewing the budget.
I know this isn't really a big deal but my predecessors weren't doing it: When there are promotional opportunities available within the company, I let the crew know about them and encourage them to apply. One of my crew has just been promoted and will be leaving my charge but she's been great and has been greatful for the opportunity. I've been mentoring her for the last few weeks. I'll miss having her around. She was great help but she's moving on to greener pastures.. I'm going to try for some pizza before she goes.
Also, I've been very careful to treat the crew like people and to "use my manners". I've also been careful to give specific instructions and set clear expectations. When setting an expectation I also ensure that I give the suppport needed &/or requested to allow for proper, timely completion.
I probably also saved the company a ton of $ in law suits and OSHA fines... We had 6 eye wash stations on a shelf in the office and 6 closets without eye wash stations... We now have 0 closets with out eyewash stations and 2 cases of refills on order... I think I'll put 2 more on order and add a bottle of eye wash to everyones cart.
Another thing my predecessors weren't doing was responding to the customer's complaint emails. A simple 1 paragraph email letting them know that I'll address the problem and will make sure that it won't become a problem again is all it took and the emails are now much nicer... It just shows a complete lack of customer service/professionalism prior to my arrival. Mind boggling.
All in all I think the hard part is over, things are going smoothly at the moment and my boss, his boss & the Facilities Director at the University like the way I'm handling things... The only down side to that is it may make me un-promotable...
