If you learn a staff member is grumbling that you are not pleased with her work and you have been busy, what is the best course of action?

If you learn a staff member is grumbling that you are not pleased with her work and you have been busy, what is the best course of action?

• A. Ignore the complaint until performance deteriorates.
• B. Discuss the matter with her now to try to find out and eliminate the cause.
• C. Publicly criticize her in front of others.
• D. Reassign her to a different supervisor.

Answer: (B)

When someone believes you’re not pleased with her work, address it privately and promptly with a collaborative, problem‑solving approach. Acknowledge you’ve been busy, then invite her to share what’s contributing to the impression you’re unhappy and what’s making the workload or feedback feel unclear. This helps you uncover the real issue—whether it’s workload balance, misunderstandings about expectations, or obstacles in the process—and shows you’re committed to helping her succeed. Together you can set a plan: clarify expectations, adjust priorities, offer needed support or training, and agree on a follow‑up to review progress. This private, constructive conversation protects morale and trust, and is far more effective than ignoring the concern, publicly criticizing, or reassigning without discussion.

When someone believes you’re not pleased with her work, address it privately and promptly with a collaborative, problem‑solving approach. Acknowledge you’ve been busy, then invite her to share what’s contributing to the impression you’re unhappy and what’s making the workload or feedback feel unclear. This helps you uncover the real issue—whether it’s workload balance, misunderstandings about expectations, or obstacles in the process—and shows you’re committed to helping her succeed. Together you can set a plan: clarify expectations, adjust priorities, offer needed support or training, and agree on a follow‑up to review progress. This private, constructive conversation protects morale and trust, and is far more effective than ignoring the concern, publicly criticizing, or reassigning without discussion.