My employee is sulking. Help!

Dear Aunty B,

I am a very nice boss, normally. But the other day I wrote a snappy email to a staff member who wrote a flippant response to a serious email I had sent her about a client. She has been sulking ever since and just now made a sarcastic remark to me.

What do I do? She is a terrific member of staff and I don’t want her upset. I want to apologise but feel like that would be caving in!

LD,
Geelong

Dear LD,

Gee, you are nice. I find a short, snappy email can work wonders. Here is what you need to do. Bring in said staff member and tell her that you did not appreciate her flippant response and that your email should have been the end of it. However, you have noticed that she is now sulking and you don’t appreciate that either as it is not good for your harmonious, productive culture.

Tell her that you would like both of you to now move on and leave it at that. Stop thinking of this as a power game where one of you caves. You are the boss and you want an appropriate response from staff. Full stop.

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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