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Decision Making Listening Who's In Charge?

How do you deal with an employee who keeps saying, "You should have listened to me" every time I make a decision that does not turn out well. I listen to my employees, and I try to make the best decision at the time. How should I deal with him?



In any relationship, when people are told what they should have done, the reaction is typically one of annoyance. Being told what you should have done is not going to help the present situation, but is likely to exacerbate the problem and generate further tension.

On the one hand, this employee may lack a few corporate graces, but perhaps he is a strong resource who could help in the decision-making process. There are certainly some decisions that can be shared among the team, and perhaps this individual could play more of a role in such cases.

At the same time, this employee may be little more than a Monday morning quarterback, and his frequent "I-told-you-so" comments may reflect his desire to undercut your authority and exert some domination and control. If you sense this to be the case, he should be given feedback on his behavior, along with encouragement to approach you with strategies that focus on the future.

By looking carefully at the full range of this individual's behavior on the job, you will be able to determine if he is a Monday morning quarterback or a backup quarterback.





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