Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Assistant Manager from HELL!!!!

This is topic The Assistant Manager from HELL!!!! in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000232

Posted by Timothy Ervin (Member # 733) on 05-01-2001, 03:08 AM:

Ok, please tell me I am not the only Manager who has ever been faced with this problem. I need some advice from my fellow theatre buds. Heres the story:

I have been out of the theatre off and on for about 2 weeks due to a tonsil and sinus infection and my Assistant Manager has turned into a monster. He has hired 15 new people, made a tremendous amount of changes, rearranged the office, made new policies,etc, etc, etc. He has basically gone totally NUTS!!!! I think I have him figured out, he wants my job hahaaha. He likes to run things "his" way and I cant deal with it.

The employees are about ready to go crazy and Im not sure how to go about handling the situation. I appreciate all the hard work he has done since i have been out but its MY theatre, I am the GM.

Today was the ultimate. I was so mad I just left without saying anything. I am still too sick to really want to "deal" with it right now. But I know I need to get this situation fixed before the summer hits.

Any advice????

Posted by Chris Duvall (Member # 787) on 05-01-2001, 03:55 AM:

I feel for you. I took over the theatre I am currently at last July. The place pretty much had the insane running the asylum. You need to let EVERYBODY know that YOU are the boss. It is YOUR theatre and it will be run YOUR way. It does not matter if the assistant good or not. You do not have the time to deal with some assistant messing up the game plan you have set into place. There is no problem with assistants giving advice to you or letting them have control of smaller projects or areas of the theatre, but you need to have your hand in the pot. Assitants are just that...assistants. They are to help you run the theatre, not take it over. They need to be reminded that they are expendable. If they are not, they could rock the boat and YOU will become expendable.

Again, I just went through the same thing here in Vegas, the land of backstabbers. I had to correct a few assistants here from Rectal-Cranial Inversion. I worked to hard to get where I am and I am not going to let some punk take me down. What made it hard for me is that my assistants that were stirring the pot are (and were) really good assistants. Within 9 months, I have 4 assitants leave(fired, forced to quit or transfer) and 4 come on board. The ones that still on, now know not to rock the boat. Funny thing is, I am an easy going guy and I encourage them to have fun while working...as long as it is my way.

Good luck...

------------------
Chris Duvall
General Manager
Regal Cinemas
Colonnade 14
Las Vegas, Nevada

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-01-2001, 10:41 AM:

to sum it up it is pretty much your way or the highway.

Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 05-01-2001, 10:56 AM:

Tim, aside from the assistant, your biggest problem is the fifteen new employees. That can be a major danger sign unless you specified that you wanted to ramp up employees for summer business.

Those employees are immediately suspect of being cronies or having been hired as retaliation to threaten the hours of some existing employees.

You need to seriously think about your own managing style. The events you describe don't happen out of the blue. Do you play favorites or not back up the assistant? Have complaints by the assistant about the staff gone unanswered? Is your assistant trained to not only do what you want, but understand why it is important? Have you slacked off and allowed assistants to do your own work? Do you "wimp out" when there is a hard decision to be made? Is there a clique or ring of thieves at your theatre that you might be only marginally aware of? Did you hire or promote an assistant that wasn't suited to the job?

Chris is right that running a theatre is not a democracy. I know how I would handle the situation, but it wouldn't have been allowed to develop. At this point, you need to understand what is going on and why, and only then take decisive steps to correct things. Interview your employees or have an outside third party interview them. Listen. Learn. Then act.

Posted by Kyle Abel (Member # 819) on 05-01-2001, 09:08 PM:

Chris, Derryl, and Jerry are correct about YOUR theatre, and YOUR policies, etc. However, you should be encouraged that your assistant took innitiative in hiring, implementing policies (good and bad), and whatnot. Don't discourage such behavior. Just sit him down and go over the things he did while you were out; tell him what was good and what was bad, and most importantly WHY.

If he's got the drive to not just sit back and let the theatre go to pot without you there, he's IMHO worth keeping. It's your job to shape him into a better manager, and, to an extent, a better person.

Remember, if you have someone in your building that can take over your job, it makes it much easier for your supervisors to promote you!

Just some food for thought.

------------------
Kyle Abel
General Manager
Plano Movies 10

Posted by Joshua Voorhies (Member # 824) on 05-01-2001, 10:59 PM:

Maybe you're assistant manager is a lurker here and will get the hint...
(I know I always watch what I say when posting to this thang)

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 05-01-2001, 11:07 PM:

Assistants are a dime a dozen just like the other grunts. Tell the assistant to shape up or ship out.

Posted by Jonathan Haglund (Member # 807) on 05-02-2001, 04:06 AM:

"Assistants are a dime a dozen just like the other grunts. Tell the assistant to shape up or ship out."

I resent that remark. I am an assistant, and I work very hard. I would be a GM if my schedule allowed it. You are forgetting a concept rarely seen in floor staff: enthusiasm. If you have an enthusiastic assistant, you need to chanel their engergies. Remember not too long ago a little projectionist-to-be named Andrew? He was extremely enthusiastic about theatres, but unfortunatly did not have the kind of direction that worked with him.

Right now I'm kind of on the flip side of your situation. I have a new GM that is turning things topsy turvy at my theatre. Normally this would be fine, but we are his first theatre and he is poorly trained. You need too do what I am trying to do with my manager: show them boundries, freedoms, and give lots of encouragement. Even one liners like "I want you to know you're doing a really excellent job" work wonders to give direction with an uncertain assistant.

Of course there are the bad apples. When you have one, act quickly and decisively, they will only drag down the rest of the staff the longer they stay.

grrr...evil memories....

------------------
Jonathan Haglund
Edwards Theatre Circuit, Inc
Park Place 10

Posted by Timothy Ervin (Member # 733) on 05-02-2001, 04:08 AM:

Thanks to all who replied...I took care of the problem and all is well.

Sometimes if you give someone a little bit of authority and a red pen they go a little nuts.

After thinking all of this over, I think I may have jumped the gun too much. At least my Assistant keot the theatre going with no problems while I was out. Im grateful for that.

Again thanks to all the replies!!

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-02-2001, 11:59 AM:

Actually on the humourus side this reminds me of the M*A*S*H episodes where Col Blake or Col Potter go for either RR or meetings and leave Burns and Hotlips in charges.
Maybe there is a new TV sitcom here