By Amy Morris, Federal News Radio

You face plenty of problems within your agency on a daily basis.

But there is one problem that is relatively new, and is becoming VERY common.

"The case that comes in with stunning frequency in the past five years, and especially in the past twelve months, is the Internet problem," says Federal Employment Attorney Joshua Bowers.

Bowers was a guest on Federal News Radio AM 10-50's Your Turn with Mike Causey.

He says managers are having to deal with a whole new type of problem in the workplace, that is become something of a trend.

"It is not alright to run a business on the side. It is not alright to dedicate 20 hours a week to your volunteer work. When the agency does computer tuneups and checks, and they find 12-hundred emails about your boy scout work, there is legitimate concern about whether you're performing while you're there."

Bowers says the internet is not the telephone. While there are records of your phone calls, there is also a record of your Internet use.

"These are documents. They can printed off to present to a review panel. Then I have to explain why this person, for thirteen years, had no discipline problems and had good performance, and now this. What do you say?"

And since managers do not like handing out discipline, perhaps everyone can come to an agreement.

(Copyright 2006 by FederalNewsRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.)

Managerial shakeups can really do a number on your workers.

Your job - to keep everyone mission-focused...and on the same page.

To do that...you have to keep those lines of communication open.

"When you have two people, the way they get along or don't get along is through communication," says Dick Morton, executive director of the Federal Learning Institute for the American Management Association.

Let's say your agency is going through a managerial shift, or a mission adjustment. Your workers want to know, FIRST of all - how does this impact ME?

"Rather than wait for that to come down, take the onus and ask for it. What they get from that, translate the words that staff can understand and pass it down asap. Don't expect your staff to ask for it. You must take the initiative to ask the question and give your people guidance as soon as you can, rather than waiting for it to be handed down."

It is all about taking that initiative, asking for the information, then passing it along. It'll cut down on rumors - and keep your workers focused. And, you'll gain their trust.

"No matter what you're talking about, communication will always be an element of it. Effective, direct communication."

(Copyright 2006 by FederalNewsRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.)

Managerial shake-ups -- at ALL levels -- will eventually impact YOUR team.

It's up to you to make sure everyone is on the same page to keep the rumors from running rampant.

Start by keeping the lines of communication open.

"There's a concept called 'partnering with your boss,' says Dick Morton, executive director of the Federal Learning Institute for the American Management Association.

He says to keep the communication flowing, you must know what your new boss wants.

"One of the key ingredients to good management is to understand what your boss' requirements are, and their needs. As those change, especially when a new boss steps in, that puts flux into the whole system. Managers in place need to adjust, and find out their new direction. They need to find out the best way to deal with their new boss and partner with their new boss."

But be patient. It'll take time for those changes to trickle down to you, and it'll take time to figure out just how you and your team, fit in.

"That takes a little while. It takes a little effort. Meanwhile, your workers know what the mission and vision are, and they are going to continue to march to that beat until they're given a new direction - a new beat to march to," he says.

And if it seems like it all comes down to communication, you're right.

(Copyright 2006 by FederalNewsRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.)

Changes in the Bush Administration have feds watching...and waiting.

Managerial shake-ups -- whether at the White House, or at the office level -- will impact YOUR agency. Its just a matter of time.

"It is interesting. A lot of things are going on all over the place.

Dick Morton is executive director of the federal learning institute for the American Management Association and says not everyone will feel the shift, at first.

"As we see these changes occurring, one of the side effects is that the managers on the lower levels continue with business as usual. The reason is, as the managers at the higher levels are replaced or reassigned, new policies and procedures take a while to trickle down, Morton says."

So the tendency is to continue as before. The lower you are on the totem pole, the more insulated you are from high-level shakeups.

"They see it happening, but the direct effect is at the higher echelons in government. The direct reporters, or the ones in a political realm of appointments. These sorts of higher end shakeups can impact any one of those."

He says if you start to see the upheaval or shakeup impact your team, make sure everyone is on the same page and keep the lines of communication open.

That'll at least keep the rumors at bay.

(Copyright 2006 by FederalNewsRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.)

When your worker is having a personal crisis, it can seep into the office. Maybe he misses more work, maybe his head isn't in the game.

But before you come down really hard on your employee, look for ways to help.

"It's all about money," says Federal Employment Attorney Joshua Bowers. He also says it's about getting the job done. You, as a manager, can help. But workers have to let their bosses know what's up.

They (the managers) are mission oriented, so let them know you'll be back with them as soon as you get past this problem. The E.A.P. program is out there, so the manager can say that he has an employee assistance program. Send your employee over there so they can help him steer through this personal crisis.

But none of that can happen unless workers let managers in on the issues.

They just want to get the job done and deal with this personal crisis that's going on outside the workplace. They don't want to tell anyone about it because it'll turn into office gossip. But, if you want to get paid, let's tell them about it! You don't have to tell them everything, but if the employer knows what's going on, you can work together to get through it. And they can plan, which is all they want to do. They just want to plan how to get through each day to accomplish the mission.

Keep in mind, the average age of the workforce is 47 years old. These people are relatively senior, so they might just need some guidance to help get through the rough patch.