AboutDr. Mac Expertise I can answer any question that has to do with working relationships, management skills or lack there of, conflict, and leadership. I primarily work with troubled teams, groups with poor management, or general dysfunction for over twenty-five years. I am also a professor at the University of Denver in the Alternative Dispute Resolution department. Go to www.greggiesenassociates.com to see my client list.
I'm using the alias "Dr. Mac" because he is the main character in my latest management book, Ask Dr. Mac. He plays a newspaper advice columnist on business issues.
Experience Again, twenty-five years of experience here. Email me at ggiesen@greggiesenassociates.com with any specific questions not related to this site.
Published articles written by Greg Giesen:
• Conflict Between Two Employees May Reflect on Organization, in the March, 2003 issue of the Denver Business Journal.
• Meeting Management: Let’s Cut to the Chase, in the March, 2003 edition of CHRA’s The Advisor magazine.
• From Conflict to Collaboration, appearing in the March, 2003 edition of Executive Excellence Magazine.
• Leading From Within, appearing in the April, 2003 edition of Personal Excellence Magazine.
• Only an Integrated Approach Will Increase Employee Motivation, May, 2004, OD Network magazine, Practicing.
• Motivational Mastery, appearing in the March, 2005 edition of Sales & Service Excellence Magazine.
• Creating Collaboration: A Process that Works, appearing in the July, 2007 edition of Projects & Profits magazine, India.
• The Value of Vision, Submitted to Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Lessons in Leadership, due out in January, 2009.
Books written by Greg Giesen:
• Creating Authenticity: Meaningful Questions for Meaningful Moments, 2001, ISBN: 0-9721114-0-9
• Creating Authenticity: Meaningful Questions for the Minds and Souls of Today’s Leaders, 2002, ISBN: 0-9721114-1-7
• Ask Dr. Mac: Take the Journey to Authentic Leadership, 2007, ISBN:
0-9788555-0-7.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Your Best Year Yet Certification, Best Year Yet, LLC.
• DiSC Certification, Resources Unlimited.
• Social Styles Pro II Certification, Cahners TRACOM Group.
• Consultant’s Training, Corporate Transformation Tools, Richard Barrett & Associates.
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Qualification Training, NTL.
• Adventure Systems & Design, Challenge Course Certification.
• The Coaches Training Institute, The Professional Coaching Course.
• Group Process Consultation, NTL.
• Mediating EEO, Personnel & Employee Relations Disputes, CDR.
• Conflict Resolution Workshop, Aiki Works, Inc.
• Facilitator Training, (270-hours), Good Works Unlimited.
• Wilderness Therapy Practicum, Colorado Outward Bound School.
• The Human Element, Will Schutz & Associates.
EDUCATION
Masters of Science, 1982, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Major: Personnel Services & Counseling.
Bachelor of Arts, 1979, Western State College, Gunnison, Colorado. Majors: Psychology & Sociology.
Expert: Dr. Mac Date: 2/25/2008 Subject: Problems with team members
Question Hello,
I am currently working as an Accountant. We are a team of 4 members one is a supervisor. I just started to work like 2 weeks back for this company. When i joined this company, I learned that nothing was organized for e.g. there was no filing system. Everything was kept at wrong place. When i joined this company i made some changes like kept things organized. I created files for each vendor and filed away all unpaid and paid bills. All the old paid and unpaid invoices were filed away. All my group members liked the idea. Now since then all the members of my group give me everything for filing, (even newer invoices that are paid). Since all are working in Accounting, don’t you think that it is everybody’s duty to keep things in a proper place? They come and tell me “here this is for filing”, “here keep this away.
It is not that I have a problem in filing; since I have already filled away things it will not hurt me to file another single paper. Again, I have no problems doing the work. For me work is work. But I do not want them to step over me, or in other words I don’t want to be a door mat. How do I deal with this situation? It happening because I am new? It becomes very frustrating at times. I don’t know how to tell them “that the filing cabinet is right behinds us, get up and go file it for yourself.
My supervisor tells me we have to work as a team. I don’t know how should I tell him, I mean how should I put in proper profession way. Please help
Answer Puja,
Clearly your colleagues are not big on filing, otherwise they would have been filing everything well before you arrived. And your supervisor must not be a stickler for filing either since he's let it go as well. Now you come along and start filing. You've demonstrated that you like an organized office and are willing to see to it that it stays that way. It's no wonder that your colleagues are giving you their filing. They are probably assuming that you don't mind doing it.
My suggestion would be to do one of two things:
1) At your next staff meeting, bring this up to the whole group. Let them know that you are happy to help out in any way you can, including filing, but that you don't have the time to take on everyone's filing and would greatly appreciate it if they wouldn't mind filing their own files from now on.
Or
2) Bring this situation to your supervisor, telling him that you'd like his advice on how to best handle this issue. Remember, asking for advice is much different than complaining. It infers that you want to be part of the solution. Supervisors like that.
Puja, since your supervisor is a fan of team work, you shouldn't have much problem in getting support, regardless which option you choose.
