TIP #3 Address Low Performance or Risk Losing Your High Performers
Do you have an employee that reports to you that is not performing to standard every day? Have you been meaning to sit down with the employee and address the issue?
Perhaps you are uncomfortable with the thought of confronting this person. It weighs on you..."How will they react? Will I be able to get them to perform?"...
You may be thinking, "This is just one more thing to deal with! Oh, maybe it will go away. Or, maybe I'll just email everybody and hope that person gets the hint."
I can tell you with some certainty that if you have noticed the drop in performance, so have others.
Here is my prediction. Your high performers will observe and continue to work at their levels for a while. Then, at some point, the world will shift, and your high performers will wonder, "Why isn't the boss doing something?" They will likely talk about it to others in the organization. Speculation will give way to cynicism. Your credibility and ability to influence them will diminish over time. You'll notice a shift, but can't quite identify the issue.
And then, when they are very tired of it...a couple of things may happen...Their performance may begin to drop. "Why should I work so hard, when the boss doesn't make Jane and John perform. I'm not going to work so hard because the boss doesn't care, notice, do anything, etc." Or, they leave.
The funny part is, the person with the low performance issue may be thinking they are doing a great job! I know you are thinking... "Wendy, that is crazy. How could they not know??!" Here is my answer. Because, they are simply not mind readers!
In my experience in the last few decades, it is my observation that many employees with performance issues believe they are doing a great job and are indispensable to the organization. Sometimes they have a "blind spot" or they may be in denial.
Whatever the case, in the absence of reality based evidence...e.g. your respectful, accurate feedback on a frequent basis, they make up their own story.
Your job as supervisor is to ensure all of your staff are working to standard. How do they know, if you don't tell them what the standard is, train them, observe them, give them frequent feedback that is accurate, clear, timely and respectful? This also includes addressing performance issues as they surface.
Yes it takes time, energy and there is some level of risk in addressing a performance issue.
However, the time, energy and risk of dealing with the alternative... continued low performance, more low performers, loss of your credibility and ability to influence your staff, loss of trust of employees, and/or vacancies is much more costly.
What do you choose?
Tips for Improved Performance and Success!
