Many managers fear managing underperformance, concerned about a backlash from the employee.
It’s little wonder as there are terrible tales of underperforming employees who successfully seek redress for having their performance managed, including compensation payments, stress claims, harassment claims and more. But there is a way to manage underperformance that will rebalance the employment relationship.
Poor performance usually builds over time as small instances go unnoticed or are overlooked. Most employees will correct their own performance if they’re aware of what is and isn’t expected of them. But as their sense of discretion over their personal behaviour builds, employees can start to push the boundaries of what is reasonable. When they aren’t corrected or when they get encouragement from others, their performance can be impacted more regularly until this poor level of performance is their new norm.
But how do you know when it’s a good time to step in and take corrective action and when it’s best to leave the individual to self-manage? The answer to that question is simple - there is never a good time to leave the individual to self-manage if they do anything that you’re not prepared for them to keep doing.
The judgment comes in what that corrective action should be. It needs to be sufficient to effect the desired change while maintaining the individual’s engagement with their work.
A simple three-strike approach will help to determine a sound approach to improving poor performance:
- Strike one: The first time there is underperformance it can be considered an accident. This would warrant informally drawing the individual’s attention to the matter and stating the preferred behaviour and checking the individual’s understanding and agreement.
When you’re drawing the individual’s attention to the matter try to match their energy level. If they made a poor joke, then you can begin your approach in the same light-hearted way but slowly move towards a more serious tone when you’re stating your preferred behaviour. Imagine you just heard a racist or sexist comment. No matter how jokingly it was said, it is still something that you have an obligation to address. In a light-hearted tone you might say, “Did you really say what I thought you just said?” In a more serious tone you would follow this up with “You know we don’t make racist / sexist jokes around here, we respect each other”. Then in a more light-hearted tone “Keep your jokes above the line”.
If you handle this well, show them respect while correcting their behaviour, then you can have this conversation in front of others. This counselling is still informal. To be effective you need them to have their inappropriate behaviour in the forefront of their mind and you need them to be able to see the impact of their behaviour on others. It also enables you to get your message across to a number of people who might think that such poor behaviour will go unnoticed.
Lastly, make a diary note that you spoke to the person about this issue. If you practice this approach and think of it as a coaching moment, you will become more confident with correcting behaviour, you will be more consistent in pulling up poor behaviour and your actions will be more effective. But some behaviour won’t change overnight.
- Strike two: The second time there is underperformance may be a coincidence. This would warrant drawing the individual’s attention to the matter, reminding them of the previous discussion and agreement, and seeking a new understanding and agreement relating to the two instances of underperformance.
The two instances of underperformance do not need to relate to the same behaviour before you increase the level of intervention. For example, poor jokes and lateness may not seem related but the underlying value may be disrespect or a lack of commitment to the values of the organisation.
In this second instance you might match their tone again but move into a more serious tone a bit more quickly. You can add a comment that if the behaviour were to continue then you may not be as understanding next time.
As this is the second time you have corrected their behaviour you can do this in a more private setting, as a small time delay won’t be so significant. This is because you will be painting a bigger picture for them about their overall approach to the workplace.
Make another diary note that you spoke to the person. And if they still don’t get it.
- Strike three: The third time there is underperformance you may see a pattern emerge. This pattern would warrant a formal meeting and a verbal warning followed by a formal note or memo to the individual clearly setting out the pattern of behaviour and the likely consequences if the behaviour continues, offering the individual support to effect the desired change. If this increasingly structured performance feedback does not have the desired impact and the underperformance continues then a formal period of performance management and review is warranted.
What if I’ve let it go too long?
If you have an employee whose performance is out of control, and you know that it has been going on for too long to take this informal approach, then you need to take a deep breath and face this fact. If you react now chances are your approach will seem overly aggressive, out of character, discriminatory and unfair. In order to get back on track you should reissue your policies and acknowledge that the organisation may need to reacquaint itself with its values. In effect you have a moratorium on past poor behaviour, provide incentives and support for re-establishing the right performance and if staff members don’t respond then you are able to start strike one.
Many cases that end up at an external review body and which are found against the employer have as their underpinning the cry “nobody told me what I was doing was wrong”. If you are able to say that on at least three occasions you managed that performance then you have a strong chance of the employee being out on their third strike.
When should formal performance improvement commence?
Formal performance improvement can commence at any time but it is more often started after the three steps in the informal process have been completed. The three step approach shows the average person that you have clearly shown the individual what is expected of them, you have given the individual ample opportunity to correct their own behaviour, and their continued poor performance is within their own control.
Correcting poor performance isn’t hard, but it takes a strong person to look at their own fears and work out a way to overcome their inaction. However, with this structured outline managers will have a clear approach to improving staff performance.