Performance Improvement Plan - The Talk

The first step in deciding whether to move forward with a formal performance improvement plan is to set down with the employee and have a discussion with them.

Of course this is assuming you have already established that their performance is in need of improving. We will have this discussion on establishing this on a separate page of this website.

For now let's assume that has already taken place and we know what areas the employee needs to improvement in.

I will invite the employee into my office and try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. If I have coffee or a soft drink available I always offer them some.

I will begin the conversation with offering a little about what I might have done on the weekend or the night before that is somewhat personal. If you feel uncomfortable with this then don't. I like this approach because it establishes that we are people, and as people we have flaws. It also helps them to feel more relaxed and may help them open up a little more so that we can get to the heart of the problem, i.e., root cause.

At some point I am going to ask the employee if they are still happy with their job. I will do this in a compassionate way. I am not threatening them, only wanting to know if they still like getting up in the morning and coming to work.

Depending on their answer I will follow up with the reason I ask is that I have noticed your performance is not what it used to be, is there anything I can do to help?

You will have to evaluate their response and take this opportunity to dig into the issues that they may bring up. It may be they don't have enough time. They may be getting bothered by someone else. They may say they need more training. They are having personal problems. Don't go into the meeting thinking you already know.

If they don't bring up anything you may want to prompt the discussion by suggesting at least one area that is falling short, and then keep building on that. The question may be presented in a positive way leaving it open for them to identify it. Maybe something like, "How do you think your doing at (fill in the blank)?"

It is much better for them to identify their performance shortfalls than to be beat over the head with them from you.

I will continue to offer up myself to train or assist in any way possible because they are important to the team. It is much less expensive to help them than to go through the hiring process again.

Finally let them know you will follow up with them (you decide how often). This is very important to the process. If you say you will be following up daily, then make sure you do.

Always end the meeting with another offer to help and a hand shake.

If you don't notice an improvement in their performance you will need to progress to the next step which could be a second more direct meeting or moving into a formal performance improvement plan.

Here is a great tool to use by H. Harrington and James Harrington called ”Total Improvement Management: The Next Generation in Performance Improvement.” It is offered by Amazon at a very good price.

Thanks

The information contained in this information on Performance Improvement Plan or any article provided by Good Leadership Skills on the website Leadership-Skills-for-Life.com, has not been prepared, endorsed, or reviewed by any form of licensed legal professional including but not limited to an attorney. Nothing in this Performance Improvement Plan or on Good Leadership Skills for Life website should be taken as legal advice, but instead should act as a useful resource in providing general information that may be useful to members of the general public. All visitors are encouraged to consult with a licensed attorney/lawyer in all legal matters. You should not act, or refrain from acting, based upon any information on this web site. This information does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.

Thank you for reviewing this article on a Performance Improvement Plan - Return