Opinion: Poor performance sets stage for difficult conversation about rules

Once a month, I host a free teleseminar as a forum for discussing business challenges and solutions. Recently, I invited business consultant Al Levi of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Appleseed Business Inc. to join me on the call to talk about having “the dif?cult conversation.” You know, the talk with an employee about poor performance. When to let it go … or let the employee go? What to do?

Here is an excerpt:

Ellen Rohr: How can you avoid having the dif?cult conversation?

Al Levi: That reminds me of a poster we had on the wall of our of?ce. It showed a cartoon of a guy trying to escape from the jaws of an alligator. The poster said, “It’s hard to remember the objective was to drain the swamp when you are butt-deep in alligators.”

The time to think about solving the problem is before you are butt-deep in it.

Do you only talk to your employees about the things that are going wrong? Why not catch them doing something right? Acknowledge when they do the right things. Then you will be more comfortable addressing the behaviors that are out of line. Your employees are like your kids. I don’t mean this in a negative way.

ER: What if you tell him 100 times to do something, and he still doesn’t do it?

AL: Well, it has to be in writing. If it isn’t written, it isn’t real. And, hey, I am over 50. Who can remember anything? Keep it clear and be willing to create a series of consequences, progressive discipline, to help him get back on track.

ER: What about having a year-end review?

AL: I don’t support that tactic. Imagine if I said to my kid, “Keep your room clean all year and in December we will go to Disneyland.” So she comes up to me in December and she is wearing her Mickey Mouse ears and is ready to go. Then, I say, “Well, remember on June 2, your room was a mess? We aren’t going to Disneyland.”

Better to stay in daily, weekly communication with your team members.

ER: Would you ?re someone the ?rst time he broke the rules? Or does he get a gimme? When do you look the other way … and when do you show him the door?

AL: First of all, make sure the expectation is clear. Suppose you show up and I say to you, “El, you are not in uniform today.”

ER: “Oh, yes, I am wearing the uniform.”

AL: “No, you look like a slob.” Well, we could go round and round with that. So, I counsel my clients to take a photo of each employee dressed in a clean and complete uniform. Then, when you show up I could say, “This is the proper uniform. You don’t look like that picture.” It’s objective, so we are not going to argue.

I recommend you use a digital camera to document uniform standards, as well as on-the-job procedures, truck-stock systems, how to organize the of?ce supply closet – you name it.

Steps to Handling Poor Employee Performance

1. The verbal warning – The Rubber Bullet. Have a short discussion. Leave a note in the employee’s ?le that you talked to him about performance issues.

2. The written warning – Use a simple form to jot down the problem behavior and both of you sign it. Put it in the employee’s ?le. Give him a copy.

3. The suspension – Time to go home and think about your career.

4. Employment termination – Time to leave. Really, the only reason to take someone through this step is so you don’t have to ?re him. You want to let him know he is headed for the cliff and it is time to stop and turn around. You want to hold your team members to high standards. Right-stuff people will respond to that tough love.

The complete “dif?cult conversation” teleseminar is available at www.barebonesbiz.com by clicking “Teleseminar Series.” The next free teleseminar is 4–5 p.m. April 18 with marketing author Nancy Michaels.

Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who offers systems for getting focused and organized, making money and having fun in business. Her latest book is “The Bare Bones Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.