When Things Slide, Pull them Aside

My last column covered one of the real pleasures of dealing with people- finding them performing well. Unfortunately things don’t always go well and people don’t always perform well. When performance falters, dealing with the problems takes completely different actions than when things are going smoothly. When poor work is observed it needs to be corrected privately. It also needs to be done in as positive a manner as possible. You wouldn’t want to be corrected and humiliated in front of your peers and neither would they. Remember, when things slide, pull them aside.

One of the first priorities is to show them you care. If you have effectively dealt with their good work the task is much easier. Sincere positive feedback for good performance earns the right to deal with poor performance. They will know you are in it to help them rather than trying to put your thumb down on them. As much as possible let them choose their path to better performance. Get them to think of how it might be better handled after the problem is explained. Using this method makes it a more personal solution and has a much better chance for long term solution. If they become stumped for an avenue of correction you can make suggestions or give them examples to get their thoughts flowing.

Another area of concern for the manager is employees developing bad habits. Whether it’s habitual lateness, excessive use of company time for personal issues, or any number of other possible infractions, poor habits must be addressed. First, don’t beat around the bush about the issue. If they’re continuously late, restate the time for reporting to work. If they aren’t required to meet the rules soon others will follow their example and eventually chaos will reign. Next, while it is important to be direct, also be gentle. Where possible, state the “why” of the rule their bad habit is breaking. Maybe they haven’t seen the importance of being there at 8:00 rather than 8:15 or 8:30.

The final issue in dealing with poor habits is to be aware of sidetracks. They will often try to change the subject and must be brought back to the point at hand and resolution. In the video “The Practical Coach” one of the best methods for dealing with poor performance or poor habits is referred to as “the 2 minute Challenge.” The Challenge goes like this: a. State what you’ve observed b. Wait for a response c. Remind them of the goal d. Ask for a specific solution e. Agree together Used properly the challenge keeps things focused and headed toward correction. It also reminds them once again that what they do matters to you.