Feb 22 Show Sarah Tidey Workplace HR Consulting Workplace Training In this post, we discuss strategies to manage poor performance at work. There is no doubt that managing an employee’s performance can be one of the most challenging parts of any manager’s role. Often by the time that the organisation’s formal performance management process commences, difficult and unproductive behaviours are already entrenched and the relationship between manager and employee has deteriorated. Productivity is low and patience is in short supply. ‘He won’t cooperate with me- he says that was never part of his job description.’ ‘She says I have never had any concerns about her performance before.’ ‘Once we had a great relationship but now he seems to hate me.’ These are the kind of comments we hear regularly from clients who call us in to assist when the performance management process falls apart. 5 strategies to manage poor performance at workTo prevent the situation from getting out of hand, there are five key strategies to manage poor performance by a member of your team: 1. Don’t delayIn many cases we see managers wait too long to raise performance concerns with an employee or put off delivering tough feedback. Opportunities for incidental or casual counselling sessions are missed. This can mean that the employee often has a false impression of how well they are travelling and so feedback about their poor performance comes as a shock. In extreme cases, we have seen organisations decide it’s time for the employee to go – without having implemented any formal performance management process at all – which invariably ends in legal action for unfair dismissal. 2. Have tough conversationsNobody likes being the bearer of bad news and so it’s tempting to soften the blow when giving an employee feedback about their performance. Lack of frankness or honesty does both the individual and the organisation a disservice. If you want your employee to have a genuine opportunity to improve, they need to know where their performance is lacking (with specific examples), what standard is required and there needs to be a two way conversation about how they can improve. Knowing how to have these tough conversations is a skill that can be learned and improved, but it requires practice. 3. Follow-throughSo you have had the tough conversation with the employee and you have come up with a plan together as to how they will improve. This is the stage where things often fall apart if no one takes responsibility for following through. It’s very important that there is a clear follow-through process which establishes:
Failure to follow up with an employee afterwards at regular intervals can lead to old habits resuming or for an employee to assume that they must have improved. A clear and agreed process is also a useful tool that you can refer back to when emotions get high. If the individual involved fails to improve and you need to consider the next step, for example terminating their employment, that will be more straight forward if you can demonstrate that you gave the individual an opportunity to improve through a fair, documented process. 4. Document each stepThe history of your management of an employee’s performance should be supported by a clear document trail. This doesn’t need to be an onerous completion of reports and forms. Clear diary notes that document meetings and emails confirming the content of conversations can also serve this purpose. 5. Improve your own performanceFinally, if you are not confident in this area and you have people management responsibility, then you need to improve your own performance! Successfully holding difficult conversations and managing poor performance is a learned skill that you can develop. Take our performance management course (see details below) or find a coach who can give you some professional development. Nobody likes having to manage poor performance – but with a confident and clear approach you can ensure the process is constructive, respectful and hopefully, successful. Master the performance management conversationIf you would like to improve or refresh your skills in this challenging area, then come along to Worklogic’s upcoming course on Performance Management in Melbourne on 9 March and Sydney on 15 March. This course will help you master the art of the performance conversation: listening, negotiating, and giving both positive and negative feedback about performance and planning for the future. Learn how to give honest feedback in a respectful way – and in a way that neither party will dread or regret! If you have a group of people managers that could benefit from boosting their skills in this area, we can also conduct this course in-house. Contact Worklogic’s training co-ordinator Danielle Calder for more information. About Sarah Tidey Worklogic offers a range of programs and in-house training to help organisations build a positive work culture and reduce workplace conflict. Please contact Sarah via email or give her a call on (03) 9981 6500 for a confidential discussion on strategies to improve the way your organisation manages poor performance. Subscribe to the Worklogic blog to receive expert advice on resolving workplace complaints and building a positive culture at work direct to your inbox each week! Skip to main content
Many human resources professionals and managers cringe at the thought of having performance discussions with an employee. These conversations are not easy, but there are benefits to having them. Careful planning is critical. The best practices below can help turn discussions about an employee’s performance into growth opportunities that maximize workplace productivity. 1. Avoid Small Talk Acknowledge that this is going to be a difficult conversation about serious performance issues. If you procrastinate, the employee may become well aware of the performance concern and sense the pending discussion, then end up using that knowledge to their advantage by engaging in protected activity or taking a protected leave. Pro Tip: Have the conversation as soon as possible. Putting these conversations off can give the employee time to make a preemptive move, and it may appear retaliatory when you do finally have the conversation. 2. Provide Concrete Examples During your conversation, identify where an employee’s performance has fallen short by providing specific examples of times when the employee did not meet objectives. The key here is to focus on facts and results, rather than opinions. Pro Tip: Avoid using "always" and "never". In difficult discussions, using absolutes can be a danger, as it takes only one example to the contrary to make your statement invalid. 3. Listen to the Employee Don't underestimate the power of the pause. Once you have laid out the performance issue, pause and give the employee an opportunity to speak and possibly provide clues as to why the situation arose. Pro Tip: Listen to what they aren't saying, too. Keep in mind that as important as what the employee say is, what the employee does not say is equally important. For example, if the employee does not respond and later claims that they were denied an accommodation, the employer may be able to defend itself from a lawsuit, given the employee's silence. 4. Make Your Expectations Clear Now that you have identified the performance concerns and given the employee the opportunity to speak, it is time to clarify your expectations. Remember, the goal of these discussions is to improve performance, not discipline the employee. Set expectations, develop and achievement plan and schedule a time to discuss and monitor progress. |
5. Document, Document, Document Performance documentation should start before the conversation with the employee. For example, managers need to document the deficient performance at the time it occurs, including any written correspondence or feedback from the employee’s coworkers. It is likewise critical that managers document and recap the conversation itself to capture expectations and related plans to remedy the issue(s). |
Pro Tip: Keep documentation together. Any documentation about an employee's performance is necessary to properly evaluate them; by maintaining accurate documentation of unsatisfactory performance, it will be significantly easier to correct any deficiencies and impose any discipline you implement as a result of poor performance. Documentation can also help the employer from future liability.
Poor employee performance can cost an employer money, reduce team productivity, and cause a negative or tense work environment to develop, so nipping it in the bud is essential. It’s important for managers or human resources professionals to follow the tips above, so they can remain calm and professional throughout this process, turning it into a growth opportunity instead of a painful conversation.
