How would you react to a 13-cent raise?

hey there friends and welcome to becoming a boss where we take some time each week to talk with someone who is wrestling with a specific situation at work some want to be helped and some just want to be heard I'm Megan here with Wallace today hello and this week we are listening to a caller who is facing a problem with clarifying expectations we love this one we can talk about this all day all day long and I have a question this is related (00:37) unrelated what can confuses me is why would you not set expectations maybe that's a question for the people to answer because I don't get it why would you not just say here's what I expect why wouldn't you just write it down I think off top of my head I think it's because we as assume sometimes without even knowing that we're doing it that other people share our expectations oh man we we kind of tend to and if you think about it I think we do that in in a lot of different areas you know like we judge what people are (01:17) feeling and thinking sometimes based on what we are feeling and thinking because that's our frame of reference so for me I nobody needs to tell me to work hard because that's my expectation that I put on my right so I'm going to go into it thinking that everyone had the same thinking that I did and we're here to work hard yeah and everyone has the expect like everyone understands that if the work day is 8 to 5 we're going to show up at 8 or a few minutes before not a few minutes after like nobody needs to (01:49) tell me hey the expectation is for you to be here on time okay but pretend just you know pretend cuz here's the caller and she's having a similar issue so if you're in charge of people and you do work 8 to 5 and you've got people coming in at 8:30 or 8:15 or 8:02 whatever it is isn't that a trigger for you that's a trigger like maybe you don't understand the expectation 100% that's a trigger oh yeah and let's revisit them hey bro just in case you weren't clear we start at 8 (02:19) I expect you here okay say it nicer though don't say don't say like me no but yes that's a good point I think we go into it not necessarily setting all of the expectations not Lan them out because I think sometimes we think well that's that's a given right or that's understood yeah but then to your point when things are happening in front of us that tell us otherwise then right that's when we act what is it like are you unclear or are you what's the word incompliant I mean some people just (02:51) don't care about following rules and that's fine but you can't work for me right right okay let me calm down um it's a it's a hot button for me because I have felt this way before so anyway we'll let our caller talk but I'm curious if the people also have an idea because your your posture is well we just kind of expect people to know what's and I I agree valid valid so we'll see maybe we'll get some answers in the chat or something anyway let's dive in we are going to listen to what (03:24) the caller sent us here we go let's do it okay so I want to be anonymous I was working for a financial institution when I went in for my annual review I received an exceeding expectations Merit on the review because I was doing my job and also doing work for other departments and helping my neighbor but the raise they gave me was only 13 cents part of what we were supposed to do is help our neighbor but during the same annual review meeting they told me I was helping my neighbor too much and that I should stop so I did stop helping my (03:57) neighbor and just stuck to the work that was in my actual ual job description my numbers went down because I was no longer helping my neighbor then they met with me again a short time later and they were confused saying that my numbers were a lot lower than before even though they knew that I wasn't helping my neighbor anymore and they started being a little harder on me even though I was still doing all the things I was supposed to be doing for example one day I grabbed my phone once I got back from lunch to put an appointment in (04:26) because I had forgotten to add it when I was out my boss had walked passed right at that moment and told me not to be on my phone and that was funny because they had never had a problem with me being on my phone before but I explained to her that I was just putting in an appointment and she's like all right well you need to get back to work so that was frustrating but I understood okay so we aren't allowed on our phones now but then shortly after that a week later maybe my neighbor was on her phone on Facebook and the boss walked by and (04:57) my neighbor calls the manager over to show her the funny funny meme that she saw on Facebook and the manager laughed at it and then kept on walking so I felt like there was a double standard going on because this is the same manager that just told me that I couldn't be on my phone so at the time I was really frustrated that there were so many inconsistencies okay thanks bye so I don't know I'm trying to narrow down all these feelings because she was frustrated she was frustrated she felt under under value I would say there was (05:32) disappointment General disappointment for sure yeah and confused because obviously we weren't clear on the expectations mistreated mistreated don't get me started on mistreatment mistreated yes because even after some expectations might have been put on the table it didn't seem like everyone was being held to the same standard and don't e that is not okay okay not okay not okay so this is the part where I have questions because the expectations were allegedly set right it's okay to use your phone right help your neighbor (06:17) everything we know what to do right get the numbers correct but then we did that but then we did that and and we even received an exceeds expectations Merit rating right for validating that we are doing a great job a great job and then and then right the race in my opinion did not necessarily match and exceeds expectation review in no world is a 13 cent raise and exceeds expectations raise in no world right and then there's confusion between the help your neighbor thing but then no don't help your neighbor I should say in this country (06:56) because probably in other countries 13 cents is valid yes either way um for her situation no right so the manager says don't you know stop helping your neighbor which that's the part I why would you say not to help you want her to sit around and do if she has time to help her neighbor then let her help the neighbor right and also she likes helping you can tell from how she's talking that she likes to help people right so which which is why I get all worked up when we're talking about clarify expectations because I feel like (07:31) if just from the very beginning conversation we would have said this is really really really what the expectations are right so what is your take on this manager because the manager had said help your neighbor then they said don't help your neighbor it was okay to be on the phone then it was not okay to be on the phone so and and it coincidentally changed after the performance changed coincidentally not coincidently right so what's your take on what happened there what what would you guess well unfortunately I think (08:01) we're dealing I'm just going to go ahead and say it but I think this leader maybe is lacking maturity um yeah I mean it's the only explanation I find for leading two different people with two different criteria and expectations and standards so and then that's unfortunate because it should be based on performance and based on communicated expectations it shouldn't be that one day your friend with this person so they can be on the phone but then this person that you're not so friendly with now because they (08:36) questioned how their review went now they can't use the phone that um it just wouldn't Foster a great work environment no and and you're a high performer so I know that you know this High performers love to be around other high performers yes that's what we love correct and what we don't love is to be on low performer well and I don't think we'd like and I don't think anyone I don't think this is exclusive of high performer High performers but I don't think anyone likes to be treated (09:10) differently oh God no to be treated differently just because yeah I mean we could probably dig into that for days but what really irks me is it it seems like it was directly correlated with the performance right you're not putting up numbers like you were and now you can't be on your phone right that's not okay well what makes it more not okay is that I told you to stop helping your neighbor and then you did what I said and then I'm treating you badly right it would be different if that was the expectation so (09:42) I'm like okay Wallace I realize that you have space in your day to do more work if you don't mind would you help your neighbor because it'll help your numbers and also you could be on your phone if you want right because that's one way I'm going to show you I appreciate you correct yes because I could only give you a 13 cent raise exactly and I feel bad but I it wasn't in my control so one of the things I'm going to do to show you I appreciate you is I'm going to let you just be on your phone that's what (10:07) I'm going to do and you could leave early on you know or whatever I don't know right something something yeah yeah in that context though it being an allowance as a reward for a job well done because this manager's hands are tied as far as a financial reward then that would be a different story I think I still have my issues with people being treated different l or like different rules applying based on certain things yeah just because it could I feel like it could maybe create an undo tension within the team like if you have a clear (10:41) measurable standard for if you do this you get that right yeah what I always tell people is to label the expectations clearly and then put it somewhere where everyone can see it yes because it helps to eliminate these feelings like you're talking about like why is Megan getting to be on her phone exactly and cuz you never want to feel that way you don't want to feel outed no so it takes the ambiguity out and the double and the you know any kind of yeah double standard double standard or even yeah and and (11:12) maybe there is no double standard but we don't even want to have the perception exactly a double standard yeah I had a boss he told me perception is everything perception is reality mhm perception is reality and I hated hearing that but served me well it's 100% the truth so that's my thing and it really kind of upsets me because I've been in situations on the other end where I just want to see everything can I see what what is the goal what is expectation because I'm a goal oriented person yes (11:44) give me a number I will headit so um yeah you are too tenacity people um okay so let's talk about this what if we had to summarize what the leader should have done in one go could have show a what it I know it's in the past but maybe there's someone listening who is in a predicament similar so if you're the leader what what would you have done to make this go better better so I think I would a again hindsight 2020 right but say it said clear across the board expectations that would apply to everyone on the team as far as who they (12:24) can help who they cannot help what numbers they need to hit whatever the case may be clear expectation another thing I think would be really important here is if in fact as a manager you're only able to give x amount of a dollar race which we are agreeing in this case sounded weak weak and not necessarily the result of exceeding expectations throughout the year yeah I think if that is the case but we know that sometimes managers that is what they have to work with and managers are the managers are not making (12:58) the budget necessarily they they they get what they get to work with yeah so we understand that that can sometimes be the case in that case I would suggest that that manager would find creative ways to still reward their team for high performance for a job well done even when financial means are not available and that will depend on what people you know see receive as a reward maybe leaving early to someone is not it's insignificant it's meaningless they don't want not that but maybe being able to take an extra lunch break would be so (13:35) again and that's where managers need to know their team members right and know what what will speak to them but I think those two things so clearing setting very very clear expectations no ambiguity no confusion no room for um guessing yeah and then you know maybe coming up with creative ways of still rewarding the team for a job well done yeah I agree and and also saying like Wallace I realize 13 cents does not reflect your value correct and I agree that it does not reflect your value however my hands are tied but here's (14:10) what I'd like to do and then like you said get creative because you have to get creative with your level of appreciation to just make sure it's fair across the board make sure everyone knows here's what we're going to do team because I didn't have the ability to give you the amount of money that I really wanted to give you we're going to do a different way of appreciation and here are your choices you can hour of work be on your phone or what get you know whatever it is right so that they (14:38) understand their value or better understand their value I guess so and you know that's a great point because if you really think about it the whole entire Bible is full of God setting very very clear expectations I'm glad you said that but you know not everybody would agree on that I mean oh my gosh I mean he's he clearly tells us do this don't do that I mean it's very clear and it and it says love me with all your heart like don't love other gods don't love like yeah it's I understand people have different (15:13) interpretations of things whatever but the part that I feel like is very very very clear is when he says what is the greatest commandment love God and love others it's number one number two love God love others so that's a part part which I do not understand that people don't understand corre that part is very very clear that's such a clear expectation such a clear expectation people get it twisted there are things um that I I just feel like in culture we say things and they kind of are said for (15:47) a long period of time and then they are accepted as truth even though it may not be exactly I remember this one time we were downtown and the homeless Community there is bigger than we'd like it to be but one of the gentlemen we were talking to he was an artist and he had he had drawn the most beautiful um picture I think it was charcoal he was using and inside of his picture was a scripture but it wasn't exactly it said money is the root of all evil which you've heard people say you've heard people say (16:24) people say that all the time money is the root of all evil but that's not what scripture say What scripture says yes and I'm not going to quot it because I don't know it off of my head but it doesn't say that I think it says I think it says money is a root of some kinds of evil or maybe it says the love of money is the oh yeah that up I'm going to look that up yeah let's just do it but I just remember I just remember thinking in that moment how many other things have I myself gotten confused about because (16:56) I've just heard them from you know whoever it is is and not it's out of context all right so how would you pull this all together set clear expectations and I'm also interested to know why people do not set clear expectations because for me I just can't I cannot understand why it's not done more often I've seen this and I just want to know so maybe the people will tell me maybe the people will tell us and can the people also tell us because I am curious how do managers without the their (17:27) desired budget for rewarding their team's performance how are you getting creative to still appreciate your team that's a great question I want to know what managers are doing and I'm going to just give some ideas I just recently had a manager that did this so even though the company's this particular company's PTO policy was very very very generous this manager still gave each person on their team an extra day of PTO that they could take and not be charged and not be charged for it so that was like a little perk of working (18:04) for this manager another thing was on certain Fridays if you know the work was done and it was kind of slow you could leave at 4 or L off at 4 um oh I had a boss like that once and that was great for Fridays especially so oh another thing CU traffic at 5:00 exactly so you want to leave at 4: and shoot even working from home it was great to at 4: just log off and not have work another thing that this manager did that I thought was very very nice and it did make me feel appreciated typically hourly employees you have an hour lunch (18:43) and then you know if you have a doctor's appointment for example and it goes over then that's just a half hour that you you know however long it may be that you're just not getting paid for in relation to your lunch hour unless you want to use PTO Etc however it may work but she had a standard blanket rule that for any doctor's appointments you could take two free hours so just to go to your appointment just to go to your appointment and I know for me personally most of my appointments are usually (19:13) within the two hours so it was so great to know that I don't have to make up time I don't have to stay late I don't have to come in earlier I don't have to lose the time I don't have to not like just 2 hours free um to go to appointments I that was very very nice so anyway just a couple of ideas that I've already experienced that did make me feel appreciated so just wondering what other people are doing yeah oppositely I remember being in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor (19:41) and on a conference call yeah just on a call cuz had to be there that's what we don't really necessarily want to do no we really don't we really don't so I would want to know what the people are doing that's a great question all right well tell us everyone tell us what you're doing or what you did as a manager for for your own team or if you on the receiving end of that either way we'd love to hear yes well that's it for today thank you to all of our boss listeners for tuning in thank you to our (20:08) caller for sharing her story and thanks also to my dear friend Wallace for hosting with me today and a big shout out to Mike teasy for letting us use his Dope song on our podcast and oh before we go if you're like us and want to see lives change give us a five star rating or if you think your story can help others give us a call at 864 6191 168 three to help us Inspire and equip others on their journey of becoming a boss and listen friends we know it's not easy but remember that whatever it is you're walking through You are not alone (20:38) and together we can make the world a better place to work thanks for listening team take care and see you next week I got a in The Bu The provide for me that's why on the book