Halp! Managing someone terrible at grammar and spelling

The trouble is you're expected to manage him without being a manager. What authority do you have? It sounds like you can sit down with him, tell him that delivering correctly written documents is a non negotiable requirement of this job, and ask if there is anything that may help him do this like Grammarly.

But if that doesn't work, what options do you have? This is really what a PIP should ideally be for, but if you can't apply one, you need to go to someone who can, let them know the consequences of your co-worker's bad spelling and grammar losing business, and say all you can think of doing is a PIP. 

In reply to OHSCrifle :

Have you been able to have an honest conversation with the guy?

"I understand this doesn't seem like a major thing to you, but it's bad enough that it looks like a legit thing you are dealing with, and our customers aren't happy. I'd like to help. Are you ok with us both having a conversation with management about this to determine a path forward?"

If it is dyslexia, tread carefully because I believe that is a protected disability under the ADA.  Some HR departments are only good for helping you generate documentation to fire people while others are actually able to help improve.  In either case, to protect yourself it might be best to engage someone from HR.  He may have disclosed that disability to the company, in which case you will absolutely want to make sure that any type of coaching you give him won't be construed as failing to provide a reasonable accommodation.  You will also want documentation to be on your side in the event that things go sideways in the future.

Does this person formally report to you or do you share a manager who has just offloaded the responsibilities to you?  It's a lot harder if you're just his dotted line and will probably require you to engage not just HR but your manager as well.  Of course if he's not your direct report, you have the option of letting him fail on his own.  Make sure it's known that you can't do your work and his and as his work starts to have an impact on customers and projects, be sure to refer those complainants to his manager.  If you're always fixing his mistakes and working 60 hours a week to do his job on top of yours, then as far as your manager is concerned, there's no problem.  When he has customers, sales reps, PMs, etc banging down his door, then he has to do something.  Don't get sucked into the trap of "but the customer suffers if I don't stay here until 8pm to do his job after I do my job". 

If your oversight of this person is more formal, then your job is to do one of three things: 

1. Get him to develop professionally and start improving
2. Find another role for him where his strengths will be useful and his weaknesses will be contained
3. Vote him off the island

You need to sit him down asap and put it in no uncertain terms that his work product is not at the level that you, the company, or the customers expect.  Show him his work, show him an example of what you expect, and explain where he is missing.  Do not give him an Oreo - that is, don't try to say well you do this great, and I really like this, this sucks butt, but you do this well.  Be straight and direct and explain where this train is heading.  The work he does is not meeting the standard that is expected of him, customers and PMs want him off accounts, and if he can't produce work for any accounts, then you're going to need to find someone else to do the job.

Next, you need to commit to providing assistance and coaching for him while stressing that you can't do the work for him and that this specific coaching exercise has a timer on it.  You're not going to spend the rest of his time with the company as his editor or ghost writer.  You're willing to work with him, but he has to make drastic improvement.  Give him a structure of what the process is going forward.  For example, everything he writes will be put through an approved* AI tool and then you'll sit down and review it together for the next two weeks.  Help to find him some training.  Maybe there's a basic writing class at a local college he can take (the IRS says that up to $5250 a year in tuition reimbursement is not considered taxable so that's what most companies offer).  There is probably a good LinkedIn Learning course on business writing.  See if your org already pays for that or would be willing to cover a month or two of premium for him.  If not, maybe he could do some driving for you if you know what I mean.  Depending on the size of your org, you might have an L&D department that already has a class for this or someone that might be able to serve as a tutor so you don't have to.

Finally, you have to explain that you're going to coach him, help him, find resources for him, but he needs to step up his game.  Decide how long you are willing to deal with this berkeleyery and what level of progress you are willing to consider appropriate and make it clear that right now, it's just coaching and trying to make him better at delighting customers.  If the improvement isn't there in X weeks, then your next step will be to drag HR into the mix with a formal PIP.  And everyone knows that once you're on a PIP, it's just a countdown timer to having to box up your desk and GTFO.

* Be really really really really careful with how you use AI in this setting.  Make sure that you're asking the question of what tools you are allowed to use because just throwing documents into an LLM could result in leakage of sensitive data or data that is covered by some sort of governance.  Ask your IT or your infosec department what tools are approved for that use.  Including Grammerly.

As an architect, you are probably not likely to have the qualifications to assist a person with a learning disability (if that's what the issue is), and management hasn't given you the authority.

The best you can do for him is to have a conversation with him.

If he won't deal with it, the best you can do for the company is to be straight with management and tell them your concerns.  Even if the consequences are bad. But the path forward is their job.

Again thanks for all the input. I'm absorbing and processing all of it. GRM is delivering exactly what I hoped for. Some validation of my previous analysis and some light bulbs.

So.. We're a big company. One of the biggest privately held firms. I found out literally yesterday that we have a ChatGPT tool that is "walled off" (somehow) to keep sensitive client stuff isolated. I need to find out more about how that's used.

This person I believe avoided accountability over the years by working under somebody else. Akin to an inside salesperson. They know our specs and can reasonably navigate many situations but just would rather fly under the radar. With this many years of experience they need to step up and be able to run jobs solo as the point of contact.

Some think we should just move on without this person because we shouldn't enable substandard work. A recession might nail the coffin shut - but I don't think it needs to be the "only" option without offering some support first. 

Does your organization require training?  Our Engineers are required to document 40 hours per year of job related training; if your company mandates something like that how about a writing class or public speaking 101?

We also have annual appraisals where you and a manager go over your accomplishments, unless there's a problem then they document and counsel you on the shortcomings; pointing out paths for improvement.  Or can you set up a system like that?  None of this is a short term quick fix, sorry I can't help more.

Another case of kicking the can down the road.  There may be a reason for this.  Before any discussions with them make sure HR or your manager agrees this is your responsibility and agrees on the corrective action plan.  

I applaud your effort to improve the employee and in turn the company but sometimes the person initiating the change gets changed first.

914Driver said:

Does your organization require training?  Our Engineers are required to document 40 hours per year of job related training; if your company mandates something like that how about a writing class or public speaking 101?

We also have annual appraisals where you and a manager go over your accomplishments, unless there's a problem then they document and counsel you on the shortcomings; pointing out paths for improvement.  Or can you set up a system like that?  None of this is a short term quick fix, sorry I can't help more.

Ironically we started (yet another) career pathway system using our HR portal - Workday. But this year I got the subject person placed "under" me as their leader. Ain't that a blessing...

OHSCrifle said:

This person I believe avoided accountability over the years by working under somebody else. Akin to an inside salesperson. They know our specs and can reasonably navigate many situations but just would rather fly under the radar. With this many years of experience they need to step up and be able to run jobs solo as the point of contact.

A couple questions:

- Have you spoken with the previous manager(s) to see how they dealt with it?

 
- Does the job description for this individual say they need to work independently, or under supervision? Even though title are similar, locations and other factors can create differences. 

- Is he meeting the requirements for the position? Not comparing to you, but comparing to the dob description and any goals and objectives set up in a performance review?

Its easy to get caught up comparing someone else's work product to your own, but your personal expectations may be higher than the role. In other words, if your performance exceed expectations it can be challenging to compare someone else's who's performance only "meet expectations".

If I was in your shoes I was talk with the individual, let them know about the feedback (filter the sources), and suggest ways for them to improve. I'd also speak with my manager (assuming is their manger as well), and make sure they are aware of the situation and escalate it to them to address. 
 

Im not saying the low quality described for the communication is acceptable, but it's also unfair to expect habits formed over years of work to change right away. The individual and their manager need to determine an appropriate development plan to get the performance to the desired level or move them in to a different role or company. 
 

Edit: I just saw your post about workday. I'd look to your manager for guidance, and based on their feedback create and document and action plan and progress using G&O in workday as a way to track and have periodic follow ups. 

OHSCrifle said:

The thought to introduce this person to AI assistants has very much been on my mind. 

To all of you that have responded above this comment - thank you genuinely. 

 

It may not be a bad idea to hint or even spell out that language skills are important for their career path.

Some people just don't have it in them, though.  This isn't a dig, it's just recognizing that everyone has different skill sets and writing IS a skill.  I write half-decent but I'm awful at speaking, in the sense of keeping thoughts ordered and presenting an idea in a way that flows logically.  I forget what I'm saying halfway through saying it, and get lost.  

What I'm getting at is, this isn't something that I think remedial training can help correct, and your co worker may be in a similar boat with respect to writing.  At least now in 2025 there are tools available to assist.

I'm a terrible speller and not great with grammar, and I don't care that much....but it depends on the context. For work I make sure I cross my Ts and dot my Is. First it is often viewed in correlation to the quality of my work and my products, and second often times it's a legal document. I'm not trying to be in mediation or court defending myself with a document that's is written sloppily and obviously illustrates a lack of care about details.

In casual conversation if my position is conveyed, I could care less if commas are in the correct place or if I used a run on sentence. 

My solution has been grammarly and a serious conversation with my staff about its importance.  It was a pretty quick conversation about WHY it's important and examples of how it reflects poorly on us, and grammarly pro to help the ones that struggle and it was fixed. If I had customer facing staff that took the positions "it doesn't matter" after the conversation, then they aren't a culture fit and don't understand what we are trying to do so they wouldn't work there anymore, luckily I have a pretty good staff and they all understood. Front line people have to be detail oriented because they are the face of the company and subject to judgement that then extends to the entire organization, fairly or unfairly they have to understand that's the way it works

Came here to add to the support for Ai. I just gave a presentation at a conference of driver educators on using Ai in lesson planning. All I did really, was replicate the process live in front of them. I use Perplexity, but Gemini (Google) or Chatgpt would easily work. I'd make the suggestion.

I've discussed the situation with the group director who sits in a different city - coincidentally the city from which my subject relocated. Director is well informed on the situation. Not blowing off my concerns but there seems to be some "can't see it from my house" taking place. 

As as support person, my subject did okay because there was always a senior person to polish things as they were delivered. With this many years of experience, there is a natural expectation to progress out of a support role. This is where we're getting hamstrung.

The solution I anticipate is setting some goals. Also recommending the use of Grammarly and finding work in teams with projects big enough to stay "in the back" if those are available. If they are not.. then a tougher outcome may be inevitable.

We have no shortage of young people who have tremendous communication skills and they can grow into the technical requirements. 

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

Datsun240ZGuy said:

I agree being careful with the PIP.  Most use it so when they fire the guy they can point back and show all the documentation of the failed progress.  

Agreed, "performance improvement program" is a lie.  They don't really care how someone does on one of those, by the time they come up with it they've already made the decision to fire him and it's just a formality.

 

I disagree with this.  Yes, of course if the plan fails the PIP is important to be able to show proper attempts to resolve the issue.  If the manager is any good, the true intent of the PIP is success and not failure.

As others have said, provide him with all the tools and resources he needs to improve his communication skills.  There are endless options specific to this topic.  Support his efforts at improvement.  Hopefully it works and things improve.  If it doesn't, and he's been given all the tools, then sometimes that's the sad reality of the business world.

In reply to OHSCrifle :

I would almost swear you were referring to me. Is there someway I missed grammar way back when? What grade was grammar and spelling taught anyways? I remember taking a lot of literature classes but maybe I was just too busy drawing cars in class. I'm just glad drafting text on blueprints are all caps and aren't complete sentences without commas or periods. Plus thank you good old spell check.

I have a direct report that sounds like this same person. She's got a master's degree and is a very effective employee, but is largely unable to communicate effectively in written form. AI and Grammarly have solved the problem for the most part. We got Copilot and Grammarly loaded on her machine and the difference has been profound. 

Mezzanine said:

I have a direct report that sounds like this same person. She's got a master's degree and is a very effective employee, but is largely unable to communicate effectively in written form. AI and Grammarly have solved the problem for the most part. We got Copilot and Grammarly loaded on her machine and the difference has been profound. 

This is very encouraging!

In reply to Mezzanine :

How on earth do you manage to get a Masters without being able to write clearly?

Duke said:

In reply to Mezzanine :

How on earth do you manage to get a Masters without being able to write clearly?

 

Most college is a joke

Duke said:

In reply to Mezzanine :

How on earth do you manage to get a Masters without being able to write clearly?

Uh.. I know exactly whom to ask...

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

Datsun240ZGuy said:

I agree being careful with the PIP.  Most use it so when they fire the guy they can point back and show all the documentation of the failed progress.  

Agreed, "performance improvement program" is a lie.  They don't really care how someone does on one of those, by the time they come up with it they've already made the decision to fire him and it's just a formality.

 

Generally speaking, yes, the PIP is the final documentation step to keep the company out of court. That said, I have placed an employee on a PIP hoping that it would be the kick in the pants to turn them around. With a fair amount of coaching effort, they did work through their challenges and get back to their original status as a valuable employee. 

Looks like this guy is several levels above his "Peter's Principle" ceiling.

Following along.  I have some coworkers with similar spelling/grammar issues.

SV reX said:

In reply to Toyman! :

I'm not saying plans don't have errors. They basically all do. 
 

But if I send in an RFI and get back something that looks like it was written by a fourth grader, I'm not happy. I don't have time for that crap. 

Throw automatic doors in the mix and 25% of the time they don't answer the question that was asked on the RFI. They send back a few meaningless sentences about products they obviously know nothing about. Then I get to ask the same question a second time. I'd rather have 4th-grade responses that made sense than masters-level paragraphs that generate more questions. 

Which leads to, 50% of the time they have no clue what they are requesting. They don't understand the hardware. They don't understand the systems. They don't understand how hardware and security integrate. They copied and pasted some words from their last set of plans because they worked last time. Then you send them shop drawings based on the specs and your quote and they are confused by the information. Why didn't it include something they didn't ask for? It didn't meet their vision or something. More than likely they just copied and pasted from the wrong job. If a few of them would ask questions on the front end, my life would be much easier and the customer would get what they wanted.

I have a current job that requires an ISO 6 sealed cleanroom automatic door. I quoted a door that meets the requirement. However, due to aesthetics, the architect specified a door manufacturer that can not provide a door to meet that standard. The GC and I have been sending RFIs for clairification for 2 months now. We have offered alternative manufacturers. I have quoted this project 6 times now, including using his manufacturer with a note that it does not meet ISO 6. I have done 3 sets of shop drawings. He can't seem to understand that just because you want something doesn't mean you will get it.  

In reply to Toyman! :

That doesn't sound like the problem being discussed. Sorry you are unhappy with the architects you work with. 
 

I get to deal with specs for automatic doors and every single other trade on an entire construction site, so I understand what you are dealing with.  I'm still not interested in communications from someone who ALSO can't communicate.