|
From
BizJournals.com
Joan Lloyd is a management consultant, executive coach,
trainer & professional speaker. Reach her at Joan
Lloyd & Associates, (800) 348-1944, info@joanlloyd.com
or www.JoanLloyd.com.
Do you have any advice for handling an employee who
"knows the ropes" and seems to be able to
avoid disciplinary action? It seems that when his
behavior gets really unbearable and I speak to him
about it, he can improve for a short time but then
he doesn't sustain it. I document all his performance
but then he improves and I have to start all over
again.
We have had several conversations about
coming in late, missing a lot of work, and long lunch
breaks. He's very good at his job but his tardiness
and absenteeism have left his team with more work
since they handle his share. Needless to say, they
are beginning to resent him. I have told him about
this but it doesn't seem to have any long term impact
on his behavior.
The staff are now making jokes behind
his back and even taking bets about how many Mondays
he will call in "sick" during a month. I
don't want to lose him because he is talented but
I fear I will need to do something soon. Any advice?
A yo-yo on a string doesn't spin unless you are exerting
constant energy. And your employee's yo-yo performance
requires the same constant attention. It's time to
stop playing the game and to hold your employee accountable
for his own motivation.
I don't believe in chasing a poor performer.
A manager's time is better spent with the people who
want to be there and who do a good job. When your
focus is diverted to hunting down an employee, making
sure the employee shows up and then doesn't dawdle
over lunch, you have to start asking yourself, "Why
am I exerting so much energy when the employee is
exerting so little to keep his own job?"
Not only does this employee need to
be given a clear message about what is acceptable,
he also needs to understand that part of his improved
performance must include sustaining it. It isn't good
enough for him to meet expectations when you mention
it—he needs to improve it permanently.
Until you make that clear, he won't take you seriously
and you risk destroying the morale of the good employees.
By letting him get away with this behavior indefinitely,
you are letting him determine the standard. After
all, how can you confront anyone else's attendance
or reliability if he is getting away with it?
1. Talk to your Human Resources Department,
if you have one, as well as to your boss about your
strategy and ask them to support you. It's no good
to implement this strategy if they will undo your
decisions.
2. Review all your documentation
and summarize, in writing, all the conversations,
the dates and the promises to improve. When he starts
to slide again, call him in and show him the summary
and tell him that you can no longer continue expend
this much energy trying to get him to meet these expectations.
In a firm and straightforward demeanor,
tell him that he must demonstrate that he can sustain
improvement permanently. Then say, "I feel it
is only fair to tell you what could happen if you
can't turn this around. I would hate to lose you but
if you don't fix this, you would force my hand and
I would have to let you go."
Then give him the rest of the day of
-- with pay -- and ask him to go home and write a
specific action plan that will fix this once and for
all. This "Decision Day" is designed to
make him realize that this is serious and you will
no longer tolerate this yo-yo performance. Say, "If
you decide that, for whatever reason, that you are
unable or unwilling to change, it's been a pleasure
working with you and I wish you well."
3. If he comes back with a plan,
review it and hold him accountable for it. If he starts
down the same path in a few months, he will fire himself.
And while he may be talented and appears
indispensable, my experience is that when someone
like this finally is shown the door, the team usually
heaves a sigh of relief and quickly fills in the gap.
|
