It is not always simple to express your concerns about an employee not fulfilling company expectations on the job. However, starting the conversation early and frequently, connecting to get to the bottom of the issue, will establish a foundation for trust and communication. It is the most effective strategy to manage these circumstances and will benefit everyone involved.
Furthermore, keeping an open mind and a considerate ear to understand what an employee may be going through personally, affecting their ability to maintain commitments and interactions in the company, is a good place to start if you hope to turn their situation around positively. Here are some methods for empowering struggling employees and getting them back on track:
Capture Employee Perspective
The first step is to ensure that your employee recognizes that something has transpired. An issue that is clear to management may be subtle – or even invisible – to employees. Schedule a meeting with your employee and ask for their thoughts on their recent performance. If your employee detects the same concerns you do, that’s great! If not, this indicates that you may need to communicate clearer expectations to your employees.
Discuss the Big Picture
Employees may not grasp how their work affects the well-being of the company. If you feel this is the case, try to provide insights to your employees. One option is to have candid discourse in which employees are encouraged to raise questions about anything they are unsure of. Make it a point to explain how their work benefits other departments and the firm; so they have a vested interest in a successful outcome.
Don’t Be Hasty To Pass Judgment
Be open and discuss issues as they arise. To understand your employee’s state of mind, try asking open-ended questions. People are surprisingly responsive to genuine concern and open-ended conversations. Avoid making hasty decisions during the conversation until you have all of the essential facts.
Improve Your Relationship with Your Employees
Build trust by getting to know them both professionally and personally. When their performance deteriorates, use this trust and knowledge to guide and coach them. Maintain your honesty and promptness in providing feedback. Forward them to the appropriate resources, experts, learning tools, coaching, and employee support programs. If you are unable to help with the issue on your own, seek assistance from your superiors and HR management as soon as possible.
Reach out (regularly) before performance evaluations
Performance discussions should not be confined to the annual review. Leaders and team members should have regular check-ins on projects, performance, roles, chances for growth, and difficulties. There will be no unexpected problems if performance engagement is open and consistent and a level of trust is developed to make difficult conversations easier.
Act as a Mentor
The one step that all leaders must understand is that it is their obligation to handle any concerns that the employee may be experiencing. The management must demonstrate how they advised employees on poor performance, effectively outlined expectations, and where the person refused to improve. Coaching is available to everyone, not just the top 10%.
Provide Direct, Fact-Based Feedback
It used to be simple to dump employee complaints over the fence to human resource management. However, it is now critical that supervisors handle difficult personnel by providing direct, fact-based feedback. Setting explicit expectations allows for feedback and accountability. Many managers struggle with offering criticism when performance levels are low, but it isn’t that difficult if expectations are set from the start.
Recognize Achievements
Find a means to acknowledge when an employee improves. The level of acknowledgment should correspond to the level of achievement; it could range from a simple shout-out in a team meeting to discussing promotion opportunities. When you do this, you show the employee how much you appreciate their efforts and demonstrate the impact they had on the firm as a whole.
Address Every Scenario With Courage
It is difficult to tell someone they are not fulfilling expectations, which is why it is ignored until it is too late. Consider mentally reframing it as a courageous conversation rather than an uncomfortable one. Consider it a service to the greater good, because fixing whatever issue one employee is experiencing benefits others. Approach the discussion with empathy rather than punishment.
