Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation

Barrie Green

They say art imitates life and if we look closely, we can find examples of how that is true. I enjoy watching talent shows just like anybody else and I really enjoy the highlights of those who perhaps are not as talented as they think they are. We watch as the person sings off key, notes are flat and off beat. Then the judges will ask who told them they have talent, and the replies are “my spouse, partner, family, church, etc.” 

The expression on the person’s face when the judges provide feedback that they are not a good performer can be devastating, as this is probably the first time someone was honest with them.

Now replace the contestants with an employee in your company who has been doing their job for years and replace the judges with a new leader for that department. This new leader is going to access and determine the person’s capability on a different level and perspective than those before and this will become the wake-up call some team members need.

“Not dealing with performance or behavior issues is not doing anyone any favors, either the person or the leader, especially not the company.”

Leaders still struggle with having difficult conversations and addressing poor performance or behavior issues/concerns with members of their team. There are several reasons a leader may avoid having those discussions. Below are just a few:

• Conflict avoidance – the employee will get upset and will not react well, risk of potential aggressive verbal behavior. The leader doesn’t want to take the risk of upsetting the employee.

• Sympathy – the employee has a lot going on in their personal life, divorce, sick family member, financial, etc. It’s not the right time to add stress to their life.

• Social Relationship – they have worked together or for the same company for many years.

• Deflection – thinking it was a single incident and won’t happen again, so no need to bring up.

Not dealing with performance or behavior issues is not doing anyone any favors, either the person or the leader, especially not the company. Avoiding conversations that will address the person and coach them to meet performance expectations or to modify behavior will impact others (on the team). This can lead to uncomfortable (work) environments, resentment toward the company (and/or leadership) for not dealing with the situation. Additionally, a perception of favoritism can put your top performers at risk of leaving the company.  

There is also legal liability. By not addressing the situation in a timely manner, you can expose the company to potential backlash. The behavior may contribute to a hostile work environment or lead to the perception of discrimination. By the time someone does address the issues, it would be more difficult for the company to defend its position on any adverse action; especially with no history of holding the person accountable regarding behavior or performance.

Whether a person has been with your organization for three months or thirty years, it’s crucial as leaders to ensure the people on your team know the expectations of their positions and where they stand. Holding people accountable does not have to be a long-drawn-out process that most leaders fear. Discussions and coaching come in many forms as well as how you document those discussions. 

Key items to keep in mind with coaching discussions:

• Be timely: ensure you have conversations as soon as you notice the performance or behavior.

• Be specific: make sure to have information regarding the expectations and how the person did not meet them.

• Most crucial: Document, Document, Document

Always remember to document interactions with your team members when having coaching discussions. This will ensure the company can support taking any necessary adverse action. This can simply be a follow-up email to the employee simply stating, “this is a follow up of our discussion regarding…”. Emails are legal documents - so I would copy human resources on those emails for record. A coaching letter that states the specific issues that are being addressed and that leaves space for employee acknowledgement.  

If you have had multiple coaching sessions and the performance or behavior does not change then it’s time to move to a performance improvement plan. The plan should outline specific areas not meeting expectations, actions items to improve behavior or performance, specific timelines, and routine follow-up to stay on track. This is the final effort to coach the person and the goal is to retain them, it is up to the employee to successfully complete the plan. Although retention is the goal, unfortunately this is also where most employees realize it’s time to move on.  

Perhaps just like that singer we started with, it may be best for them and the company to find something new.