ADVICE: Department Guidelines

["Jelinek, Jennifer" <JJelinek -at- PLYMOUTHWATER -dot- COM>]

For the department managers out there...do most of you have a written
set of departmental guidelines? I'm not talking a style guide, here, I'm
talking guidelines that cover everything from how to prepare a file for
the printer to what's the department's philosophy to who to call when
you're sick and can't come in. I've just recently rehired two people for
my department, making a full department of three people (plus myself)
for the first time since I've been promoted about 5 months ago. My one
holdover has been giving me some pretty major attitude problems and
taking advantage in certain areas (which is another problem altogether),
and while I've always been a very hands-on,
working-with-you-not-above-you sort of manager, I'm realizing that I
need to set some definite boundaries and make those boundaries very
visible. So...(back to the original issue) I'm trying to put everything
down on paper, whether it be potentially contentious issues that I want
spelled out in writing, or just ideas / procedures that I think are
useful to know. I'd be interested to hear ways in which others have
tackled these types of communications issues...how they decide what goes
in the guidelines, how it's organized, how to assure people read it, how
to keep it current.

If you don't think your response will be of interest to the list, email
to me directly and I'll summarize for anyone who's interested. Thanks
much!
________________________________________________________________________
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Jennifer Jelinek
Marketing Services Manager
Plymouth Products, Inc. Sheboygan, WI
jjelinek -at- plymouthwater -dot- com