There are great employees, the ones who soar over the bar on day one and only get stronger with every passing year. And there are terrible employees, the ones who are always two steps behind and who can somehow be found at the bottom of every single mix-up and missed delivery that happens in the workplace. Those in the first category never make a single mistake as they glide effortlessly up through the ranks. Those in the second category flail and struggle until they’re finally fired or just give up.
But let’s be honest. The employees in both of these categories are very rare. Most, if not all, of the team members we manage during our careers will fall somewhere in between these two extremes. So what can we do with an otherwise great employee who makes a serious mistake, or a series of mistakes? What about an employee with high potential who doesn’t grow quite as fast as we think she could? And what about the struggling but valuable employee who we know we can’t easily replace? Here are a few considerations.
Handling Employee Performance Issues
1. First, don’t ignore a performance issue until the end of the annual review cycle. Learn to address problems as they arise. Without micromanaging, make sure your coaching efforts are a year-round endeavor.
2. Work as hard as you can on a daily basis to cultivate an atmosphere of trust. If your employees trust your leadership on a regular basis, you won’t face such an awkward and rocky road when it’s time to address problems.
3. Arrange a private meeting. Make sure the employee knows the reasons for the meeting, and restate the reason in a friendly, gentle, and non-judgmental way when the meeting begins.
4. Get the employee to agree that the problem exists. Managers make a common mistake when they assume the employee understands the issue. State the problem clearly, cite examples of the problem, and clarify your expectations (how the problem differs from expected, acceptable behavior.) Then ask the employee to accept and confirm that your assessment is accurate.
5. Ask the employee to help you identify possible solutions. The more options you can present to the employee, the better. For each suggestion the employee offers, help her identify the benefits and drawbacks.
6. Allow the employee to choose an option, then support the choice and offer praise.
7. Be prepared to hold the employee accountable and make sure she follows through on each step of the chosen solution. This will be the true test of your strengths as a manager and her own willingness to grow and change. As she moves forward, acknowledge and praise each indication of progress.
For more detailed information on coaching, assessment, and creating performance improvement plans, contact the Houston employment and business management pros at Expert Staffing.