By Affiliate Joni Daniels
At one time or another, every boss comes across the employee who no longer is working out in the job. From my work over the past few years, I’ve seen a waning of a critical skill that allows bosses from the Executive Board to the C-Suite, to the Division VP’s, to the first–line Supervisor to manage their employees well – honest conversations about performance.
Quirky personalities and ‘odd ducks’ come with the inclusive workplace – there will always be disagreements and conflict in the workplace. Not everyone behaves as if the video camera is on them at all times. Having to manage someone who is methodical about manipulating situations and people for their own needs or for sport shouldn’t be tolerated as much as I see that it is.
I see bosses who are confounded by their employees who seem unwilling or unable to improve their performance. These managers are like the kids who are afraid to dive off the high diving board. They climb the ladder, run up to the edge of the board, and then FREEZE! Fear hits them and they stop in their tracks. Sometimes a kid climbs back down, sometime they stay frozen in place, and sometimes they run up to the edge several more times – but there is no dive, no jump, no leap.
Articles abound about the incredibly competitive work environment. Grab almost any newspaper or business publication to read about how many qualified people are unemployed and eager for work. I see managers struggling to work with the employees they have, holding out hope that the challenging employee with finally ‘get it’ and start moving in the same direction as the team.
I see –
- Executives who give up and tolerate divisive interpersonal style in exchange for technical expertise or strong customer relationships.
- Mangers who don’t’ have the time to listen and give feedback on a daily basis.
- Supervisors who ignore passive aggressive behavior or sub-standard performance, thinking it will go away.
- Directors who put up with emotionally immature employees in order to avoid the extra time a replacement will require to get up to current (sputtering) cruising speed.
SIMPLE – BUT
Many Managers don’t dive in and fix things. They hide out, or sit back and expect their employees to figure out on their own how to get things done. They may tell them what the end result should look like, but not how to obtain it. When the business results don’t come, those managers look for someone to blame and it’s rarely the reflection in the mirror.
From what I’ve seen, these managers have weak skills when it comes to managing the average employee – and they work to keep that fact from being discovered. They often have an erroneous view of their position – thinking that bosses should keep their distance rather than stand next to the employee to help. Some prefer not to tackle problems directly because it might not work out and that can look like a failure. Many are unable to deal with employee problems, because truthful conversations can come with strong emotions. And many more have been placed into management positions by well meaning organizations, without being given any training or the very performance management I am writing about.
These managers try a variety of things or they try to avoid the issue, managing around the person who is performing poorly.
If you have an employee who –
- Does not pull their own weight but they are still on the team
- Hasn’t made mandatory changes in the way they do their work
- Can’t resolve problems with co-workers
- Complains frequently and gets their way often
Then you are managing them like you are the kid on the diving board – anxious about jumping.
In a perfect world, employees want managers who are leaders too. It would be great to be able to say that your boss is fair, stands for quality work, developing employee talent, and possesses personal courage.
Divers often have a problem finding the right place to stand. Every forward approach should start from the same spot every time. An inch in either direction can radically change the outcome of the dive. Diving is a sport of consistency and repetition, and if you can’t stay consistent with your starting point it is impossible finish consistently. Even the placement of your toes can make a huge difference in the where the dive ends up.
It’s the same with managing performance – consistently starting from the same spot makes a big difference in where you end up. It is a straightforward process: clearly setting the performance standard, communicating it clearly, with a clear articulation of the expected, observable, measurable, successful outcome. The employee’s performance is evaluated; often requiring regular evaluations at intervals determined by logic and need (weekly, monthly, quarterly). If the employee is clear about the expectations, if training has been provided for them and they are unable to attain the desired performance, than additional guidance and feedback is required. It is rewarding to see a person or team of employees develop, grow and succeed.
NOW WHAT?
What if the performance continues to be below standard despite your best effort?
Once you determine that there is a standard of performance in place that your employee has been made aware of, and you have proof that they have failed to meet that standard despite several attempts, and the appropriate level of evaluation, instruction, training, counseling, guidance, and a reasonable period of time for improvement has occurred, then the conclusion is that the employee is not a good fit for the position.
And then – for many managers, the loop starts over again. Unwilling to take the last step in the logical chain of events and jump off the diving board, managers opt for managing around the problem, keeping it alive. Worried that perhaps the pool has changed from diving to wading, managers stop short, unwilling to risk an imperfect dive. The perception of others is that the manager isn’t managing at all.
I see the struggle, the attempts, the willingness, and the hope of my clients – they want the employee to respond, altering their behavior or learning new interpersonal skills, employing different strategies, or reducing the use of inappropriate behaviors. Many employees are successful.
I’ve worked with employees at all organizational levels as well as supporting their bosses with performance management guidance and have seen impressive work –
- A VP who now assertively manage disgruntled executives
- A Director who can maintain established boundaries and experiences improved health as a result
- An employee who improved impulse control, cultivating professional relationships instead of complaints
- An Executive, whose interpersonal style was holding him back, now responsible for a major corporate initiative
- Many other employees don’t change, or change so little that it’s insufficient.
If you are the manager of one of these below-standard performers, it’s time to stop climbing up and down the high-dive ladder. Contact me. It’s time to bring an end to repeatedly running up to the edge of the board and then freezing. It’s time to leap forward – and manage.
The water is fine.