Counseling Under Performing Employees
Fred, the new manager, was working with Grant, an employee
who wasn't getting his work done. Fred had delegated work
to Grant, and Grant hadn't made progress on the project for
almost 4 months . . . long past the due date.
For the most part, Fred had done well with the first two steps
of delegation and checking. He just wasn't acting on Grant's
lack of performance.
The key point in the process that determines if Fred needs to
have a coaching or counseling session with Grant is when Fred
asks if Grant needs anything from Fred to make the project
happen now. If Grant says anything but nothing, then Fred had
coaching work to do. If Grant replies that there's nothing he
needs from Fred, time for a counseling conversation.
Coaching is needed when an employee can't do the work he
needs to do. Counseling is needed when an employee won't do the
work he is assigned.
Typical situations where counseling is needed include ongoing
poor performance, an insecure employee who is skilled, but
doesn't do as well as could be expected, an employee who is
allowing personal problems to adversely impact performance, or
employees who have an "attitude." They feel angry,
frustrated, vindictive, unappreciated or unrewarded, and they
get back at the company by choosing not to work.
Like with performance problems that require coaching, sometimes
Rule #1 is at work. Managers have inadvertently "rewarded"
employees into non-performance. The manager has allowed
employees to "get away with" not performing, and the employee
finds not working more rewarding than working. Sometimes doing
the work is punishing or not rewarding: there's nothing in it
for an employee to do a good job. Or, an employee may not have
the authority to get the job done, or is expected to buck policy
or the way it's always been done. Or, worst of all, good
performance or bad performance, it just doesn't matter. No one
seems to notice.
If any of these are true, time for a little rehab program for
the manager, and even more work to bring the employee's behavior
into line.
Fred has made the problem of Grant's poor performance worse by
letting him "get away with" not getting his work done. Now he
has catch up work to do.
Step one: Prepare for the conversation. If Grant
suggests there's nothing Fred can do to help him get the work
done, then it's clear one of two problems is going on: Grant
either doesn't know how to do it and won't say he doesn't know;
or Grant doesn't want to do it and has some belief he doesn't
have to. Either of these means time for a counseling
conversation.
Fred's preparations must include deciding if Grant is willing to
address the issues, alternatives, and consequences of his poor
performance. If Fred has any question about Grant's willingness
to participate . . . time to check in with HR.
Step two: Counseling conversations start like coaching
conversations: establish rapport with the employee, attend
to the situation, and keep the context professional, not
personal. Fred needs to be clear that this conversation with
Grant is about his continued poor performance, and the need for
resolution.
Step three: Set the context. Focus on behaviors, not
intent, values, or motives. Fred's task is to keep the
conversation focused on Grant's behavior, even if he is
addressing attitude. So he can describe what he's seen, i.e.
rolling eyes, tsk'ing in response to questions, shrugging when
asked a direct question, rather than labeling or judging.
Step four: Solicit input from the employee. This is the
time for Fred to listen to Grant's side of the situation. Fred
needs to maintain professional boundaries and not get caught up
in solving the Grant's problems for him. Attitude is Grant's
problem. At some level, you can't insist employees think or feel
a particular way. But, you can insist on performance.
Step five: Offer support while expecting a resolution.
Keep the balance between sympathy and solutions. Fred can't
offer to fix it for Grant. Grant needs to take care of his
personal problems himself. This means Grant has to do more than
50% of the work towards the solution. Set a benchmark date for
resolution, and commitment to expectations.
Managers can get into difficulties with counseling
conversations in a number of ways. The first, and most
deadly, is by not checking with HR for assistance and
policy/procedure clarification. Counseling conversations are
designed to resolve issues that interfere with performance, they
aren't a time to play shrink. Remember you are not running a
mental health clinic, and even if you were, you wouldn't be
treating an employee. Avoid interpreting, or telling the
employee what the real problem is, even if you are convinced
your perspective is the real truth. They won't hear it and they
just get frustrated and annoyed.
With either coaching conversations or counseling conversations,
the goal is improving employee performance and getting the work
done. If problems continue, time to have a more serious
conversation with your HR rep. It may be time to move to the
next level.
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