Client Question: “I am spending a lot of time with one of my team members to try to get them back on track. How does a leader manage this process effectively?”
Whenever you have a team member who is not performing there will be a lot of work on both your part and the employee. Depending on how far off track they are will determine your next steps. Is it a one time situation that will require a few extra meetings or is it much more serious? If it is more serious, then there may be Human Resources (HR) discussions, performance improvement plans and weekly meetings. There will also be lots of documentation required. The goal is to help them improve their performance and move through the actions to change their behavior. They will either demonstrate success or they will not and may be forced to leave the organization.
Performance issues are not easy discussions to have for either party. It requires a lot of structure and organization for both the manager and the employee to go through a performance issue. You have to follow through on documentation, have more frequent meetings, capture observations and gather feedback from others who can share insights on their performance. It is emotionally challenging to go through this process and because of confidentiality, you can only discuss with your HR person.
How long should this process take? Most companies have a process to follow, but you will need to determine success or failure. You have to follow your HR process, but you also have to objectively ask yourself some key questions. Are you seeing behavior changes? Are you hearing improved feedback from others? Do you see a lot of commitment by the person to changing their behavior and attitude?
This is not an easy process for anyone to go through. Seeing the person turn around and be successful is a win-win for them and for you. Sometimes they just need to go through this process and refocus their efforts. You will need to monitor them to ensure that there is no slipping back into old behaviors. If they don’t show improvement, they may decide to leave the company on their own or they will be asked to leave. This is not the outcome you are looking for, but sometimes this may be the best alternative for everyone involved.