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Part of your responsibility as a manager is to make sure your work group is functioning effectively. Consequently, if an underperforming employee is holding you back, or an employee who has trouble getting along with co-workers is disruptive, it is your responsibility to correct the situation.

When you observe an employee doing something wrong, it is important to address the issue with the employee promptly and privately. If a co-worker brings another employee’s misdeed to your attention, you still need to act—but with care. Try to corroborate the story and be tactful when confronting the employee with any secondhand information.

When handling a difficult situation, it is very important to give the employee the benefit of the doubt and to remain objective, calm, and unemotional. If your work environment has been one of mutual trust and respect, you will be better prepared to deal with any problem that comes along.

POWER POINTS

COMMON MISTAKES

Of all the mistakes managers make in giving performance reviews, three are particularly common:

Reviewing too infrequently

Being underprepared

Providing unbalanced feedback

Dos & Don’ts

TAKING ACTION

Dealing with employees who don’t measure up to expectations can be challenging. Here are ten keys to handling underperformers:

Do deal with a difficult task as soon as it presents itself.

Do remain calm and unemotional.

Do provide guidance to correct the situation.

Do set deadlines for required actions.

Do make dated notes of every conversation and situation.

Do initiate disciplinary action if the problem is not corrected.

Do consider probation or termination if a problem is not resolved.

Do make certain that you have just cause for oral or written reprimands and terminations.

Don’t attack employees personally.

Don’t fail to get employees to sign performance reviews and written reprimands.

Get into the habit of documenting every problem. Make notes of who said what and when after a problem occurs and during any meetings at which it is discussed. Keep these notes in a locked file.

Reprimands

If you have been doing a good job of providing continuous feedback to your employees and reviewing their performance periodically, reprimands should rarely be necessary.

They should be issued only when there is just cause—misconduct, negligence, insubordination, unwillingness to perform job requirements, or similar circumstances.

The oral reprimand. If constructive criticism delivered in a private meeting has failed to correct an unacceptable behavior, a more official oral reprimand may be warranted. This is the first step in the progressive discipline process that may ultimately, but not necessarily, lead to termination.

In an oral reprimand, you and your employee discuss a specific problem, and you call for an action to correct it. You need to tell the employee that it is an oral reprimand, give the specific reasons behind it, and warn that a more serious consequence could result if the problem is not corrected. You should also document the oral reprimand in writing.

Plan B

CONSIDER PROBATION

Probation, a formal warning that an employee will be terminated if there is no improvement within a specified period, can help employees realize a situation’s severity. It announces that they are being given one last chance.

If you opt for probation, state the reasons clearly in writing. Set a goal that is measurable and explain that termination could follow if it is not reached by a given date—usually 30, 60, or 90 days later. Ask the employee to sign the probationary notice. For some employees, this warning is all the motivation they need to improve.

The written reprimand. If the problem continues unabated, you may wish to formally put the employee on notice with a written reprimand. You must ask the employee to acknowledge the written reprimand by signing and dating a copy, and you should file a copy with your HR department. If the employee refuses to sign the reprimand, make a written note of this on your copy of the