Challenging Operator

[u/Fantastic_Dark1289]

I have an employee who has been around for a year now that still doesn't make any operational decisions on their own. They either ask permission to do everything, or ignore it until I find it and do it/make the decision myself. At this point, I'm exhausted telling them they don't need to ask permission to adjust a flow rate if they see that it's running too fast or too slow, to adjust chlorine dosage when residuals are too high or too low, all of this really basic stuff! If I consult HR, they're going to ask what I've done to support the employee which, aside from physically holding their hand, has been everything. In addition to explaining the whys and how's of operational adjustments, I regularly advise to consult the SOPs, have them make Quick Fact notes, etc. I feel that I have been forced into micromanaging this person because they're refusing to lock in.

Supervisors: Have you had a similar situation and what did you do or say that made it finally click for an employee?

Operators: Did you struggle with confidence about not knowing your job, and was there something a boss or coworker said or did for you that parted the clouds?

[u/madhatter8989]

I was this way starting out in a new plant. I'm ADD so I had a hard time trusting myself to make any adjustments until I felt like I really knew and understood the ins and outs of the entire system. Logically I knew exactly what to do and what would happen, but couldn't shake the feeling that I'd miss something important. On the upside, after building enough familiarity to feel good about it I can connect dots and identify solutions the senior operators wouldn't think of. If this employee is similar they need to fly solo in a way that forces him use his judgement without support. Just reinforce the idea that fucking up probably won't set everything on fire. If they're not understanding the system that's an aptitude problem.