EMPLOYEES have always been and will always be an organisation's greatest asset. However, this vital asset is also the most volatile and unreliable. At times, it also turns into a paramount drawback when job performance is not up to scratch.
As such, performance problems rear their ugly head in varying forms. Work turned in by an employee may be of unacceptable quality or error-laden.
He may either be late with an assignment or fail to complete it at all. Or, it may even be categorised by an unwillingness to learn new tasks, adapt to changes or work with other people.
All said and done, a problem is a problem - be it big or small. One person's shortcomings can put a damper on the overall organisational morale and productivity.
However, sacking the problem employee will not improve matters. Beware, an indiscriminate `firing' policy may even leave you with no workers since almost every person faces some performance issues at some point.
So, why not first try to turn around the employee's performance instead of doling out arbitrary punishment? Here's a five-pronged approach for every manager to address and resolve the issue:
First things first
Employees often do not even know what is to be done. This is because their job is not clearly designed and/or misunderstandings about goals abound.
To give them a clear picture of what is expected from them, establish a `performance plan' as a generic standard for performance requirements. Make sure that it is positive, practicable and also tailored to match the position and work assigned.
Also, maintain regular communication to achieve clear understanding of expected work standards.
Where is it going wrong?
Do you wake up to the fact that something is amiss only when it is too late? Maintain a system of regular checks to detect a performance issue as soon as it occurs and, if possible, nip it in the bud.
Make an attempt to identify patterns of unsatisfactory performance and provide appropriate feedback to the employee. Else, the guilty person may carry on blissfully unaware of the fact that he is going wrong.
Maintain ongoing records of individual performance to establish a well-documented case.
This will help in assessing whether the problem existed from the beginning of the employee's tenure or a previously efficient employee has deteriorated. Also, double check to make sure that you have a fair and accurate assessment in hand.
Constructive counselling
Most problems can be resolved with appropriate counselling. So, arrange a private, uninterrupted meeting with the concerned employee.
Adopt a calm, sensitive and professional stance avoiding judgmental or threatening overtones. Concentrate on the performance and not the person.
Gently inform him that his performance is not upto the mark with specific examples to support your assessment. Try to ascertain the root cause of the problem - whether it is stress, burnout, co-worker conflict, low morale, lack of training or a personal problem or tragedy.
Then discuss ways in which the employee can improve his performance; ask for suggestions from the employee himself.
Opportunity to improve
Organise a remedial plan targeted to the successful attainment of goals. Establish an `opportunity period' as grace time within which his performance should show improvement and inform him of the same.
Provide necessary support through additional training, mentoring, supervisory assistance or pairing him with another employee along with an ample spur of motivation. However, do make sure that you adhere to company policy in such matters.
Follow up
At the end of the period, assess his performance again to determine whether his performance has reached expected benchmarks. If all else fails and his performance problems persist despite sincere and repeated efforts, you have no other option but to administer disciplinary procedure.
As such, the guilty person may be reassigned, demoted or out placed.
After all, you win some; lose some. It's all part of the game!
As such, performance problems rear their ugly head in varying forms. Work turned in by an employee may be of unacceptable quality or error-laden.
He may either be late with an assignment or fail to complete it at all. Or, it may even be categorised by an unwillingness to learn new tasks, adapt to changes or work with other people.
All said and done, a problem is a problem - be it big or small. One person's shortcomings can put a damper on the overall organisational morale and productivity.
However, sacking the problem employee will not improve matters. Beware, an indiscriminate `firing' policy may even leave you with no workers since almost every person faces some performance issues at some point.
So, why not first try to turn around the employee's performance instead of doling out arbitrary punishment? Here's a five-pronged approach for every manager to address and resolve the issue:
First things first
Employees often do not even know what is to be done. This is because their job is not clearly designed and/or misunderstandings about goals abound.
To give them a clear picture of what is expected from them, establish a `performance plan' as a generic standard for performance requirements. Make sure that it is positive, practicable and also tailored to match the position and work assigned.
Also, maintain regular communication to achieve clear understanding of expected work standards.
Where is it going wrong?
Do you wake up to the fact that something is amiss only when it is too late? Maintain a system of regular checks to detect a performance issue as soon as it occurs and, if possible, nip it in the bud.
Make an attempt to identify patterns of unsatisfactory performance and provide appropriate feedback to the employee. Else, the guilty person may carry on blissfully unaware of the fact that he is going wrong.
Maintain ongoing records of individual performance to establish a well-documented case.
This will help in assessing whether the problem existed from the beginning of the employee's tenure or a previously efficient employee has deteriorated. Also, double check to make sure that you have a fair and accurate assessment in hand.
Constructive counselling
Most problems can be resolved with appropriate counselling. So, arrange a private, uninterrupted meeting with the concerned employee.
Adopt a calm, sensitive and professional stance avoiding judgmental or threatening overtones. Concentrate on the performance and not the person.
Gently inform him that his performance is not upto the mark with specific examples to support your assessment. Try to ascertain the root cause of the problem - whether it is stress, burnout, co-worker conflict, low morale, lack of training or a personal problem or tragedy.
Then discuss ways in which the employee can improve his performance; ask for suggestions from the employee himself.
Opportunity to improve
Organise a remedial plan targeted to the successful attainment of goals. Establish an `opportunity period' as grace time within which his performance should show improvement and inform him of the same.
Provide necessary support through additional training, mentoring, supervisory assistance or pairing him with another employee along with an ample spur of motivation. However, do make sure that you adhere to company policy in such matters.
Follow up
At the end of the period, assess his performance again to determine whether his performance has reached expected benchmarks. If all else fails and his performance problems persist despite sincere and repeated efforts, you have no other option but to administer disciplinary procedure.
As such, the guilty person may be reassigned, demoted or out placed.
After all, you win some; lose some. It's all part of the game!
Payal Agarwal
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