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Handle a mediocre performance review - April 2008 |
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It starts with a mediocre performance review, the kind where you sense there's something you're not being told. Then you find that you have been left off the project that was agreed as part of your development plan. You suspect that things are happening that don't include you, and you realize you were the last to hear of the changes in company strategy. You're working harder than ever and yet you seem to have lost focus. You're feeling exhausted, anxious and apprehensive, but your boss never seems to have time to talk to you. And now it's the last day of the month and he wants to see you urgently...
No-one wants to be the victim of a process of such denial and manipulation. Most of us would not deliberately wish it on others. But if you are a manager and you do not confront poor performance amongst your people as soon as you become aware of it, you are denying them the opportunity to fix the problem and you are guilty of dishonesty. Ignoring poor performance has never been known to make it go away. The longer it is left, the more likely it is to get worse. While confronting poor performance is not an easy conversation, the steps below provide a framework to get you through it. Use these seven steps to step up to conversations to correct poor performance. - Set the tone of the conversation. You want to help, not punish.
- Put the facts on the table. Be clear, specific, honest.
- Explain your concerns and the implications if things continue as they are.
- Ask for the other person's take on the situation.
- Generate possible courses of action. Ask more than you tell. You are more likely to get commitment when the other person makes the suggestions.
- Agree how performance will be tracked and measured going forward.
- Agree on a follow up date. Stick to it!
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