The thing that rings out for me from the original post was only touched on by one follow-up post: this guy has YOU afraid to talk to him. I don't know, did you say he cannot be fired? Because if he can be, that is the ultimate leverage you have over him and that should inform and empower you whenever you are dealing with issues regarding him. If you are talking to his direct supervisor, it should be at the back of your mind. When you are talking to him, it should be at the back of your mind. Until you get used to
really being the boss you are going to have to force yourself to remember
who fires whom!
Trust me, fire a couple of people when you are justified in doing so, and people will respect you. The trick is to be justified in doing so. That is accomplished by two things: having a track record that is
visible to the entire staff that you are unassailable (you are hardworking, honest, and care only about the company -- first in, last to go, that kind of thing). In that regard, it wouldn't hurt for you to learn more about his job. This may mean you have to work harder and longer hours to get a better understanding of what he does (and other employees, too). But you said yourself that you are on a steep learning curve: you may not make it up that curve without putting in a lot of extra effort.
Secondly, the employee must be truly in violation of a company policy or a standard that you have set. Remember to publicize the firing -- don't be afraid to yell at the guy in front of other staff if he gets out of line. When he gets released -- people will already know the explanation!
I am a mild-mannered gentleman and as part of my maturity running my own businesses I learned that there were times when drama was in order. I had to become an actor to get my job done. There is A LOT of good advice in this thread, including specific advice on how to run a maintenance department, and "tricks" to get this guy to tow the line. Don't forget that it's not just a line from a movie: keep your friends close and your enemies closer!
