DMC issues....am I the only one that has this?

ZenDiver.3D · September 22nd, 2009, 02:15 AM

Okay, I am here, all by myself again. I need some help. Some assistance. Some advice/validation.... Here's the story:

One of my DMC's is a very nice guy. Really. But he has seemed to go right round the bend. He s bullying the other DMC's for their turns DMing classes, running the boats, you name it. I have been having to tell him repeatedly to Quit trying to "teach" his own techniques to the new students during my classes. !st because they are flat wrong, and 2nd because they directly contradict what I had just taught. He is making disparaging remarks on the boats and acting like he is amazing-diver-man..... He tries to make everything a superman moment for him. During a diver rescue (a diver from another boat), he acts like a complete jackass and got in the way repeatedly. Then thought he was just fine.
He has now started bitching when he DM's a boat on Friday and another DM gets to do Saturday and he doesn't..... He just called one of my co-owners to complain that he was not being utilized properly...... Oh, and he is out of town for about the next 6 weeks. We are in the middle of the DM course right now. I even put on a special boat on Friday for DM drills and sea work which he specifically demanded. Then the day before the dive, he texts to say,"sorry can't make it. I have stuff to do."
He is driving me nuts. I didn't play childish middle school games when I was In middle school and I will not play them now. I am going to cut him from the DM program when he gets back. I just think this is causing too much drama and problems between the team here. No one wants to put up with this. I would love to find a way to get him back on track, as he can be a really nice guy. Any ideas, or do I can him?

tstormdiver · September 22nd, 2009, 02:49 AM

Sounds like this DMC could be a real liability, to you as an instructor & a business co- owner. Not even a DM, yet & trying to teach or reteach the class???? & his ways are wrong? (& I would guess probably against standards). That can be a serious safety issue. Most agencies will not allow DM's to teach anything. Review,... maybe, under the supervision of the instructor, but not teach. Sounds like he seriously needs to read & understand the agency's standards & know your standards, as the lead instructor when he's there with you, as to what his place is, as a DM or in this case, a DMC. You are in the driver's seat in this case. Whether he's nice or not, in most circumstances, you &/or the co- owner (in agreement), needs to have a frank & serious talk with him about his behavior. With the stipulation that such behavior MUST stop immediately, if not he will be cut from the program &/or the shop. His job as a DM is to assist you &/or the shop, not run the show. Cut & dry. Confrontations are rarely pleasant or fun, but necessary at times. When going against standards (I assume), countermanding the instructions of the leading instructor (as long as you are within standards- even then countermanding would be questionable), acting unprofessionally & disrupting the general morale of the operations at the dive shop, that's opening you up to more problems & can be a real possible liability to you as instructor.

Thalassamania · September 22nd, 2009, 03:03 AM

What's the problem? He's history.

jscott099 · September 22nd, 2009, 04:17 AM

I've seen this type before (similar behaviors and attitude). We try to wash them out early as it is clear they have the wrong mindset about what being a DM or instructor is all about. You will be doing him, students, and paying customers a favor (all though he will not perceive it).

Crowley · September 22nd, 2009, 08:48 AM

Before everybody lynches the guy....

It happens, ZenDiver - same way a little bit of power goes to a lot of people's heads. Give some men a walkie-talkie and they think they're a member of the SWAT team.

Talk to the guy and explain to him how his actions are affecting people's perspectives. Explain to him that he still has a lot to learn and his conduct may well be putting lives at risk. He is training to be a professional and needs to act like one. He may genuinely think that he's doing the right thing by being over-exuberant in trying to demonstrate his expertise, but he needs to be set straight. I've seen it plenty of times - from new DMs to new instructors or staffies or even Open Water divers who seem to know everything and try to impress the student divers who've just started.

Attitudes can be mended - not always - but they can be. It's at least worth a try before binning him directly. I have found in the past that the phrase "no refunds" can be used with a certain amount of success!

Good luck,

C.

leapfrog · September 22nd, 2009, 08:55 AM

Zen,

I notice you are in Kuwait? Is there a cultural issue involved?

I agree with Thal. There are already too many DMs and Instructors in the world. Drop him, fast. (BTW that particular kick in his rear end will be the biggest service you can do him)

ZenDiver.3D · September 22nd, 2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thalassamania

What's the problem? He's history.

But there is a tight knit community and he has been a friend of ours for a couple of years now. He has truly changed only in the past 3 months. I always hate having to do something that will devastate another, even when it is needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leapfrog

Zen,

I notice you are in Kuwait? Is there a cultural issue involved?

I agree with Thal. There are already too many DMs and Instructors in the world. Drop him, fast. (BTW that particular kick in his rear end will be the biggest service you can do him)

Nope. This guy is from the good old U.S. He is from Florida. And you are right about the rest. The best thing.

Tammy, I have told him clearly that he is not and cannot instruct the students. Yet I keep finding him stepping on top of the instructor to add to their instruction.
I have also told him that he cannot DM All classes. We have others who wish to be there too and he has to take a rotation. Nope. Pouting... I am through.
My co-owner(hubby) and the other co-owner have all agreed, but it is me who must shake him loose. I am the managing owner. Sucks. Thanks ya'll for the help.

leapfrog · September 22nd, 2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenDiver.3D

The best thing.

By doing this you are sending a clear and positive message to rest of the crew. After it's done, watch the morale of the rest of the DMCs soar!

joolz · September 22nd, 2009, 12:33 PM

I wonder who coined the term "divemaster" anyway. Anybody who's actually done it knows that it really should be "diveslave"

Zen, you have two choices: ditch the guy or see if you can steer him back in the right direction. It all depends on whether you think he's salvageable. From your original post, it sounds like you're leaning 80/20 towards ditching him, but the fact that he can be a nice guy is preventing you from going all the way to 100/0.

The fact that he took off for 6 weeks in the middle of the program gives you an out. When he gets back, you can tell him that you're unable to resume where he left off because it wouldn't be fair to hold the other DMCs back while you bring him up to speed (assuming they haven't finished by then). You can reschedule the next DM program at your convenience -- say January -- and point out that a DM is supposed to be a professional, and professionals don't just back out of commitments.

If you do choose the rehab route, you can work with him privately on his skills to ensure that his techniques are consistent with everybody else's, and do this before he gets in front of any students again. He can use his own techniques on his own time, but when he contradicts the instructor it undermines your ability to teach. Most rational people would understand this, and if he doesn't grasp that, then maybe he'll grasp the idea that unless he does it properly, he's going to score a 2 on the evaluation and will never pass the course.

Is there anybody in the shop that he actually respects? Say, the co-worker that he called to bitch? It sounds like he might just be in need of a good mentor to explain that a DM isn't about being a superhero, despite the swanky title. Everything you said in the original post is stuff that he needs to hear before you kick him out: he's interfering with your ability to teach, he's overstepping his role as an uninsured DMC (the instructor's insurance only carries him so far), he's affecting morale, and he's ditching his responsibilities. Maybe you can ask him why you should take him back after all that and see what he says.

knotical · September 22nd, 2009, 12:49 PM

imo you've been way more then tolerant. Sometimes we do friends a disservice when we treat them differently.

BUT, if you really want to salvage him, consider apologizing for treating him too tolerantly and explain that because he is a friend you must henceforth treat him less tolerantly than typical candidates, so as to avoid the continued appearance of favoritism. Another potential technique is to explain that as dive professionals we are partly actors, and he must at least act like an ideal DM. The risk of course is that he'll change his ways only until given real responsibility, and then revert.

Personally, I would have cut him loose before this.