New This Month
Print Article Archives
Reprints / Subscriptions
Editorial Calendar
Media Kit
Popular Features
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus | Retaining Top Personnel PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT | | |||
|  The Cost of Turnover Orientation Motivation Coaching and Mentoring Training Goal Setting Performance Assessment Resignation and Termination More Resources: Retaining Top Personnel Code of Ethics: Retaining Top Personnel | 8 Performance Warning Signals Acting promptly when problems occur makes correction much more likely and heads off the need for termination. If you see these signs in a worker, it’s time to act. 1. Output decreases. 2. Errors increase. 3. Complaints increase. 4. Interaction with others decreases. 5. Defensiveness or irritability increases. 6. Absenteeism increases. 7. Little initiative is shown. 8. Tougher tasks are avoided. From Handling the Difficult Employee, Marty Bournstein, Crisp Publications, 1993 TIP: Avoid playing psychoanalyst; instead, concentrate on looking for ways to improve performance. 4 Difficult People (And How to Handle Them) Do any of these sound familiar? 1. Complainers find fault with everything. What to do: Ask them what they’d do to change things. 2. Intimidators use anger and rudeness to get their way. What to do: Don’t respond emotionally; let them vent a little, then quietly call a halt. 3. Clams are often prompted by insecurity or prefer to use silence as an aggressive weapon. What to do: Ask open-ended questions to get them talking. 4. Know-it-alls frequently focus on minor issues to deflect the discussion from what’s important. What to do: Don’t disagree with them in public; instead, discuss alternative ideas in private. 7 Mistakes With Poor Performers Don’t fall into these management traps when dealing with problem employees, urges Michael Scott of Empowerment Unlimited in South Bend, Ind. 1. Using a punitive versus a corrective approach to problems. 2. Assuming that poor performers will just go away. 3. Allowing fear of legal repercussion to dictate your decisions. 4. Not hearing employees out. 5. Setting low standards for performance. 6. Avoiding today’s problems because of positive past performance. 7. Trapping yourself by requiring too much documentation to act. Adapted from "7 Pitfalls for Managers when Handling Poor Performers," Michael Scott, Manage, February 2000 Step-by-Step Confrontation > | |