INTRODUCTION
We hear so much about documentation when it comes to performance management. But just as important as the documentation is the conversation with the employee.
Without a conversation, the performance management is less likely to achieve its goal, that is, to provide the employee with clear notice of his or her deficiencies so that he or she can make the necessary improvement.
Further, the absence of any conversation may come off as disrespectful–hit and run, if you will. As we know, disrespect is often the catalyst for an employee consulting with a lawyer.
As with documentation, the only thing worse than no conversation is a bad conversation. Here are some nine (9) guardrails to help keep the conversation on track and on point.
PREPARE TALKING POINTS FOR THE CONVERSATION
A meeting was scheduled for an employee to receive a final warning. When the meeting was over, he thought he was promoted.
I wish this were hypothetical. It is not.
Delivering constructive feedback is difficult for most of us. In the absence of talking points, it is easy for the leader to stray from the intended message.
When straying from the intended message, the feedback usually becomes more muted. The “hard” message becomes soft.
The talking points help to make sure the intended message is delivered. They protect us from the discomfort many of us have in delivering performance management.
MAKE CLEAR UP FRONT “SERIOUS” CONVERSATION
When you begin the conversation, avoid small talk. “How are the kids?” sets the wrong tone, at a minimum.
Get to the point. State at the outset of the meeting that the conversation is “serious” or “critical.” This sets the tone not only for the recipient but also for you!
Some leaders use the words “uncomfortable” or “difficult.” These words may undermine the confidence (not arrogance) you need to project.
DISCUSS THE STRUCTURE FOR THE CONVERSATION
When employees receive performance management, they need to be given an opportunity to talk. At the same time, too many interruptions by the employee may hinder your ability to deliver the necessary message.
To minimize this potential risk, explain that you are going to cover a number of areas, stating briefly what they are. Tell the employee that he or she will have an opportunity to respond to the issues you raise in each area before you move onto the next.
You can maintain necessary control of the conversation by making clear at the outset that the employee will be given an opportunity to respond to each area. When the employee is aware of the opportunity, he or she is more likely to wait for it.
PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
One of the biggest substantive mistakes in providing performance management is to talk in generalities and not to provide specific examples. Divide your concerns into categories. For each category, such as poor judgment, you should have specific behavioral examples.
For example, it’s okay to say you have concerns about the employee’s attitude But you must give specific examples of what the employee said or did that you considered to reflect a poor attitude.
Make clear that the examples you provide are just that, only examples. This is important so that you so that you do not restrict your ability to raise other examples in the event of litigation.
Explain the rationale for how you picked examples. For example, you may choose the most recent examples, the most serious examples, etc.
REMIND EXECUTIVE OF PRIOR NOTICE
No matter how fair you may be, the employee, at least initially, may not feel that way. Yes, it’s hard to deliver performance management. It is even harder to receive it.
You can minimize the initial emotional resistance the employee may have to the performance management by reminding him or her of informal coaching and/or formal performance management that he or she already has received
If there has been no prior performance management, formal or informal, be prepared to explain why. One common reason: the employee’s performance was fine until relatively recently.
GIVE THE EXECUTIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
RESPOND AFTER EACH AREA OF CONCERN
As noted earlier, the meeting should be structured so that the employee has the opportunity to respond to each general area of concern. When it’s the employees turn to talk, listen with an open mind. The opportunity for the employee to talk must be more than performative.
Sometimes the feedback provided by the employee will call into question the concerns you have raised. In other cases, the employee’s response may provide clues on how you can help him or her improve.
It’s okay to respond in the moment to the concerns an employee raises if the answer is clear, at least to you. It is equally fine not to respond in the moment, but instead to let the employee know you will consider their input and get back to them. And, of course, if you say you will get back to them, you need to do so.
MAKE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS GOING FORWARD
For each area of concern (such as communication, timeliness, etc), define the specific changes that you expect.
Let’s focus on communication, for example. Invert the deficiencies and reframe them as positive expectations. Let’s assume the employee’s communication was reactive, inaccurate and dense. What you expect going forward is communication that is proactive, accurate and succinct.
MAKE CLEAR THE CONSEQUENCES IF THE EXECUTIVE
DOES NOT MAKE “ADEQUATE” IMPROVEMENT
What happens if the employee does not make the necessary improvement? This is the bottom line and too often it is missing. This is not surprising because, in some respects, this is the hardest part of the performance management.
Let’s go back to the first recommendation—the talking points. Make sure you define adequate improvement and what the consequences of not achieving it will be.
For example, ordinarily, the improvement you seek should be “immediate, significant and sustained.” The consequences of the employee’s failure to meet any of the 3 elements may range from “more severe corrective action, up to and including termination” to “termination without further warning.”
Which ending is best? I get to say once “it depends.” It depends on the seriousness of the performance deficiencies, the amount of prior notice and other relevant circumstances beyond the scope of this article.
OFFER TO HELP
Of course, we should not speculate or inquire if the employee has a physical, emotional or other specific problem. If the employee perceives you as perceiving him or her as disabled, you may end up with a perceived disability claim under the ADA.
But that does not mean you should ignore entirely the possibility that something may be wrong at work or independent of work with consequences on the employee’s work. So open the door wide and invite the employee to walk in. And keep it simple. For example:
“Randy, I very much want you to succeed. If there are any issues we can help with, please let me know. I want to help, if I can.”
And I hope this article was of some help to you. Thanks for reading it.!
