Poor Employee Performance: How to Deal

KEEP WRITTEN RECORDS: "Document !Document! Document!" Keep a record of periodic performance reviews, incidents of unsatisfactory performance, conferences where warnings are administered or terminations are announced. Issue warnings and terminations in writing as well as verbally. When dealing with a particularly unstable or vindictive employee, request that the employee sign a written summary of a warning or termination conference to attest to the fact that the summary is accurate (not that they necessarily agree with it).

DOCUMENTATION SERVES TWO PURPOSES: First, it insures that the message has been conveyed. All people's memories of conversations are distorted by emotions and expectations. So it is quite likely that an employee coming out of an emotional warning conference will have a faulty memory of the specifics, unless the memory is aided by a written summary. Second, documentation provides insurance for post-termination confrontations. If the employee challenges a firing, either before an owner, a board, or an unemployment claims officer, claiming that adequate warning was not given or that the firing was groundless, a written record of the entire process should provide sufficient evidence to counter these claims.

KEEP EMPLOYEES INFORMED: A means of avoiding potential confrontation is for the manager is to keep his boss up-to-date on the situation. For a manager who is also the owner of the business, of course, there is no one else to turn to. However, if the executive director answers to a board, owner, or sponsoring group, the appropriate party should be consulted as soon as the possibility of a termination arises. The privacy of the employee must be respected, so prior consultations should be made in confidence. One executive director kept the board's chairperson advised, rather than discussing the situation with the full board. When the terminated employee appealed to the board, the chairperson was able to verify the director's account of the process.

SUGARCOATING A WARNING: Since warning conferences can become quite emotional, key messages sometimes fail to get communicated. Sometimes managers and directors try too hard to cushion the blow by sugarcoating the warning. In one instance a manager went to such lengths emphasizing the employee's strong points in addition to the problem areas that the employee left the meeting unaware that he was close to being fired. A second message is often necessary clearly outlining the specific steps the employee needs to take to meet the manager's expectations. To avoid miscommunication, have the employee state his interpretation of the manager's message to be sure he has an accurate understanding of it.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

---

9 Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment

Tips for Getting the Most From Your Conference Investment All... Read More

Know Your Client - The First Rule of Business Coaching

Whilst the very best coaches have undertaken independently accredited training... Read More

Disaster Prevention Tips For Hiring A New Manager

It happens over and over in businesses every day.Within large... Read More

Strategic Outsourcing: Testing the Outsourcing Waters and Staying Afloat

Before Gertrude Ederle began her historic swim off of Cape... Read More

Why Half of All Mergers Fail After the Honeymoon Ends

Marriages and corporate mergers in America have at least one... Read More

Out of Control?

There are papers on the floor, across the desk and... Read More

Feedback - Make it Descriptive

Have you ever heard yourself say to a team member... Read More

Rules for Running a Meeting

As an experienced manager, I can announce without a doubt... Read More

Hows Your Company RQ (Reputation Quotient)?

In light of recent corporate scandals, from Enron and Global... Read More

What Personal Assistants Really Want

What would happen if the personal assistants in your organisation... Read More

Know the Source of Business

One of the first questions we ask a prospect or... Read More

Management - Mary Poppins Style!

Mary Poppins describes a style of management which has for... Read More

2 Steps For Increasing Company Profits or Performing Business Turnarounds

1. Eliminate wasteEliminate reports, habits, products, duplicate input, and processes... Read More

Implementation the Catalyst of Change for Management to Reach that Next Level of Success

From the personal and professional experiences of other colleagues and... Read More

Computer Consulting 101 Hiring Tips (Part 1 of 2)

Does your business need the services of a computer consulting... Read More

How to Create an Operations Manual

An operations manual can act as a tool for training... Read More

The ?Better People? Fallacy

It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better... Read More

How To Conduct Effective Meetings

Before you call your next meeting, the FIRST step is... Read More

Culture Management and Creativity

Many concepts in the fields of managing creativity are very... Read More

13 Comments on Bad Meetings

Bad meetings are a cultural malady that senior executives pass... Read More

5 Ideas To Leverage The 3 Stages Of Career Development In Your Organization

In most industrialized nations, the average age a student graduates... Read More

Nine Vital Lessons For Avoiding Training Fads That Waste Time, Money and Enthusiasm

Unfortunately, at least two thirds of much of the training... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations

Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing... Read More

Performance Management Made Easy

Performance Management is a process that both employer and employee... Read More

Delegation - The Basic Steps To Reducing Your Workload And Creating A Successful Team

If you have a task greater than you can handle... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Best Incentives are Free

This article relates to the Recognition competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

A Comprehensive Sarbanes Oxley Act Summary

Individual and corporate security stand in the center of the... Read More

Make Them GLAD Youre Their Boss

Criticism has the power to do good when there is... Read More

What is Knowledge Management Anyway?

When you think of all the things companies have, you... Read More

How To Own A Business... Instead Of A Job

Every business is run by someone who took on a... Read More

No Time to Focus on the Big Picture? Try Focus Management

E-mail, voicemail, "got a minute?" interruptions, multiple projects... Read More

Leaning Toward Change

Seduced by the publicity surrounding the impact of Lean on... Read More

Getting to Consensus

The need to get people in an organization to pull... Read More