Ten Keys to Improving Employee Performance

8/8/2019 Ten Keys to Improving Employee Performance

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Ten Keys to Improving Employee Performance

Posted by Steve

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The economy is said to be improving. Though they¶ve had their ups and downs, the Dow, NASDAQ, and other market indexes are

up from a year ago. The housing market may have also hit bottom.

One indicator that doesn¶t bode well, however, is the unemployment rate. Firms still aren¶t hiring. They¶re getting by with what ²or whom ² they have. What does this mean for the currently employed? It means we¶re expected to be more efficient«more

productive. ³We¶ve go to do more with less!´, we so often hear it. This is frustrating for both sides. Employees are trying theirhardest, in virtually all cases. And, employers want to keep growing.

As a manager or owner, simply telling your employees ³we have to be more efficient´ won¶t motivate them. Saying, like

wishing, doesn¶t make it so. You have to be a mentor and coach to get the most out of your employees ² all of them.

You say you ³don¶t have time for that´? Well, do you have time for inadequate performance? Do you have time to replace and

train a replacement? Time to acclimate them to the ³company way´? Time to recoup the investment you¶ve already made or

the experience? The wisdom?

How do your employees stack up to expectations? Are they performing at a satisfactory level? If not , could that be due to:

y Poor training?

y Inadequate equipment?

y Time pressure?

y Lack of priorities and/or organization?

y Poor communication?

y Lack of motivation?

Home in on the reason(s) for employees¶ underperformance to determine if better coaching will address them.

What, When, and Why ² Does the employee know what to do, when to do it, and why ? If not, you need to tell (maybe evenshow) them.

What Is and What Should Be ² What is the standard of performance and how does the employee measure up to it? Does the

employee know what the standard is? You have to let them know clearly what¶s reasonably expected of them.

Communicate ² Does the employee know his/her performance isn¶t meeting the standard? You need to let them know.

Train ² Does the employee have the skills needed to do the tasks required of them? If not, you need to invest time in training to

get higher performance in return.

Realistic Expectations ² That standard of performance: is it reasonable? What¶s it based on? Is your standard current? Stretch

goals are fine«as long as they¶re fact-based.

The Butterfly Effect ² What impact does substandard performance have on the rest of the organization? The employee may need

to be reminded of his/her place in the firm, their relationship ² direct and indirect ² to everyone else, and how inadequateperformance affects other people and processes. The organization is, after all, only as strong as its weakest links.

Ample Resources ² Does the employee have enough (time, money, materials, etc.) to get the job done? You have to see that

they do.

Performance Hurdles ² Is something beyond the employee¶s control affecting his/her performance? Is there something you, the

employer or manager, can do to help?



Positive Feedback ² Is the employee getting the occasional, well-placed ³attaboy´/´attagirl´ for a job that exceededexpectations? Or, are they being ³rewarded´ by having more responsibilities heaped upon them? ³You did this so well , we¶re going

to give you more´ can be as damaging as ³You stink!´

Motivation ² Is the employee¶s heart in the job? If not, more training, better equipment, and more resources (like time) aren¶tgoing to solve the problem of poor performance.

Now, let¶s say you¶ve analyzed the situation and have come to the conclusion that coaching will help turn the employee¶s

performance around. Here¶s how you might go about it:

1. HOLD THE COACHING SESSION IN PRIVATE

Nobody but the two of you need be involved. Be warm and courteous. Remain calm and keep a positive attitude.

2. CLEARLY STATE UP FRONT THE REASON FOR THE SESSION

Don¶t be blunt, though. Say ³I¶d like to discuss (XYZ)´, rather than ³I need to talk to you about your recent performance problems.´

You want to engage them, not talk at them.

3. SHOW YOUR CONCERN FOR THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE

Example: ³It looks like we¶re not following up with customers as quickly or as thoroughly as we should. We used to get back to 80%

of our customers within 10 days of their purchase. Now it¶s more like 10%.´ Focus on the problem, not the person.

4. DESCRIBE THE WAYS IN WHICH THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE AFFECTS OTHERS (INCLUDING YOU)

Example: ³When we don¶t follow up with customers in a timely manner, they probably feel like we don¶t care about anything buttheir money.´ Emphasize ³we´ and ³the team´. Putting the focus entirely on them only deepens the sense of isolation they already

feel.

5. ACKNOWLEDGE THE EMPLOYEE·S SIDE OF THE ISSUE«AND LISTEN

Regardless of whether the employee apologizes, rationalizes, promises to do better, etc., hear them out. They may have a valid

explanation (like that they¶re overworked ² you might do more with less but you can¶t do more with nothing).

Remember: there are always at least two sides to every story.

6. GET THE EMPLOYEE·S INPUT ON HOW TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE

Ask, ³What can be done to improve our follow-through with customers?´ There may be some beautiful gems hidden among their

thought nuggets ± help them find those gems. After all, they¶re on the front line every day, so they¶ll have insights you won¶t.

7. DISCUSS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Work with the employee to develop a number of potential solutions to the performance issue. Make use of the employee¶s ideas and

offer guidance, but don¶t take over the project. You¶re a coach, not a critic.

8. AGREE ON A SOLUTION AND ACTIONS TO TAKE

Identify what you both think is the best solution. Agree on how to arrive at the solution and on reasonable deadlines. Be clear of

your intent ± that you want status updates so you can help them, not because you get any joy out of ³riding´ them.

Be sure to put the action plan in writing and make sure you both have a copy.

9. CHECK ON THE EMPLOYEE·S PROGRESS AND CONTINUE TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK



Give them additional guidance and reinforcement. Don¶t hover around them constantly. Just make sure that they¶re not stuck onsomething. If they have ideas on how to improve the process or the result, listen and evaluate. If they have a good idea, let them

run with it.

10. GIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK FOR POSITIVE RESULTS

Every time the employee meets a deadline or hands in a ³deliverable´, give them a sincere ³Good job!´ Don¶t say, ³That¶s more like

it´, or ³You should¶ve been doing this all along.´

Remember ² even star employees who are strongly self-motivated (and there are probably more of them out there than you think )can use a sincere pat on the back«or a handshake«or a shout-out. So, you can imagine how an employee who¶s been struggling

will benefit from quality feedback.

You¶ve been there. You know how good it feels when someone takes you under their wings. Give back what you got.

Now it¶s time for your feedback. Tell me what you think.

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Ten Keys to Improving Employee Performance