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'I have difficulty confronting poor performance!'
By: Tita Datu Puangco I have been a supervisor for two years. I am the kind who gets upset when people I supervise are unhappy. I always want my unit to focus on achieving goals and having no interpersonal conflicts in the workplace.
My problem comes every time performance appraisal comes around. We appraise performance twice a year. I have difficulty confronting poor performance. Before appraisal week I worry and spend sleepless nights. Please give me advice how best to tell a subordinate that he is not performing according to standards.
Is there something wrong with me? My other co-supervisors do not appear to be having problems. Thank you for whatever help or advice you can extend to me. Soft-Hearted Supervisor
I empathize with your difficulty in confronting poor performance. You are not alone. Even experienced managers and supervisors can sometimes dread performance appraisal season. As Filipinos we feel the dilemma more intensely considering that core to our culture is our value of "smooth interpersonal relations." We often don't want to ruffle feelings or upset the stability of the work atmosphere.
As supervisors, we also realize the importance of dealing with substandard performance. Telling the truth is good for the person being coached and good for the organization. It also benefits the supervisor or manager because he is able to deal squarely with the problem and move more decisively to set a climate of trust and achievement in the workplace.
Recently, I came across a very informative book by Bruce Bodaken and Robert Fritz entitled "The Managerial Moment of Truth." The authors claim that truth is one of the most important competitive advantages in building a business. They cited that if managers use their truth technique they will be able to increase capacity from 25 to 40 percent to their organizations without adding significant cost.
They suggest that truth is better than manipulation at any time. In fact, they suggest that corrections should be made when they are small and insignificant before they become a big habit that leads to a full-blown confrontation. This means that you should not wait till the performance appraisal period to correct poor performance.
The Managerial Moment of Truth (MMOT) technique can lead to successful learning and mentoring experience with your team. The technique involves four steps:
First step is to acknowledge the situation. You and the person involved must make sure you recognize the same reality. Simply state the facts. Make sure the person agrees with the facts. Make telling the truth a part of the culture. Assure people that it is acceptable to tell the truth even when it is uncomfortable or it contains bad news.
Step 2 is to do situation anaysis. You engage in a real exploration of what actually happened. What decisions and actions led to the current situation? Help the person analyze performance focusing on two elements that together are the keys to good performance. These are design and execution. Look at elements that led to poor performance. It is important to get the complet story and assumptions made. The task is to understand what happened and not to lay blame for wrong behavior.
Step 3 is to develop an action plan. Discoveries and insights in Step 2 must result in a workable action plan. The plan has to be put in writing by the person involved and a copy furnished to you. Upon receipt of the action plan you can then validate whether the plan captures the intent and meaning of your conversation.
Step 4 is to create a feedback system. Often supervisors conclude the task is done when one has an action plan in place. Often follow through on plans could lead to further adjustments or refinement. Your suggestions will lead to performance improvement. Make feedback a habit.
Practicing the MMOT technique allows the manager to set more ambitious goals beyond simply correcting poor or nonperformance. A manager can then set goals such as aiming for a subordinate's exceptional performance or becoming a valuable team player.
Finally, aim for real and lasting change in the performance of your people. How can we ensure that people do not regress and oscillate between performance and nonperformance? Set clear outcome oriented goals. Create the habit of consistency in truth telling and constancy in mentoring.
Finally, if you have not been trained in Performance Management techniques, contact your human resource department for training or at the minimum get an orientation on what makes for successful performance appraisals. All the best.
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