Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Mon, Mar 15, 2010 @ 09:19 AM
We all have the person or people in the office who spread gossip and thrive on talking about others. This has the effect of making people feel unsafe as they think; will I be the target of gossip next? We also know it wastes time as people become disengaged from the work and focused on the topic of the day. There are usually a handful of people who are the initiators of gossip and the only way to stop it from happening is to address the issue directly with the individual. Here are a few talking points to use when addressing the gossiping employee:
While it's only natural to be interested in what's going on in other people's lives, I'd like you to resist the temptation to share personal information that you may be privy to or have learned from others.
OR
Hold onto personal information that you may have come across. Bypass the temptation to share it with others.
Now you could just as easily say, "I need for you to stop gossiping" but that will most likely be met with a myriad of excuses. So, try translating what you don't want, "gossiping", into a statement that describes what you do want.
Author: Jamie Resker, President and Founder of Employee Performance Solutions
For more information about how to provide feedback, particularly on behavior based issues, please see our paper on How to Address Disruptive Employee Behaviors.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Wed, Mar 10, 2010 @ 08:49 AM
Discrimination lawsuits by employees are on the rise and comprise about 33% of all claims in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Discrimination in the workplace is prohibited if an applicant or employee is discriminated against in the hiring, firing or terms and conditions of his/her employment because of his/her "protected class." "Protected classes" include race, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability and military status. Does this mean that a person who falls within a "protected class" has to be afforded preferential treatment? No - just equal treatment. With so many people falling within one or more categories of a "protected class," what is an employer to do? The key is education, training and documentation.
First, every company should have written policies that prohibit discrimination/sexual harassment/retaliation in the workplace. The policy needs to be signed by every employee within the organization.
Second, training seminars must be conducted on an annual basis for all employees. The purpose of these training seminars is to make each employee aware of his/her responsibilities and rights. Each employee has the right to work in an environment free of discrimination. Each employee also has the responsibility not to discriminate against other workers.
Third, documentation is critical for a number of reasons. Performance evaluations and warnings, if necessary, give the employee an opportunity to improve his/her performance. Those performance evaluations will also serve as evidence in the event that the company needs to defend itself against an employee who claims that he/she was terminated due to discrimination. An employer would argue that the termination was due to poor performance and not discrimination. The performance evaluations will be the best evidence of such poor performance. By the time a case goes to trial, the manager/supervisor who made the recommendation to terminate an employee may be long gone. Without the written performance evaluation, there will be no other evidence of poor performance. In addition, juries tend to believe the "written" more than they do the "spoken."
Discrimination lawsuits are so dangerous because of the cost, potentially unflattering publicity and the countless number of hours that need to be spent during litigation. Attorneys' fees for the company defending such a claim will typically be about $175,000. If the employee prevails in such a lawsuit, he/she will be entitled to his/her "reasonable" attorneys' fees which will usually be about $200,000. In addition, a prevailing employee may also be entitled to back pay damages, compensatory and punitive damages.
Thus, the key to avoiding discrimination lawsuits is education, training, and documentation.
By: Claire Saady, Esq. of HR Corporate Solutions
HR Corporate Solutions is dedicated toward working with companies to guarantee that they are in compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws. Claire works with companies to prepare their employee handbooks, policies/procedures, non-compete agreements and also provides training seminars for employees and executives.
She can be reached at clairesaady@hrcorporatesolutions.com or 813.909.7379.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Fri, Oct 09, 2009 @ 08:31 AM
It is clear that the key reason people avoid giving feedback is not because they don't understand the problem but rather because they don't know how to craft a message that is sayable and hearable.
Put the focus on the positive, desired performance rather than highlighting the current negative performance. The result is a message that you can deliver without having a bottle of Alka-Seltzer at your side and your staff can hear without going off the rails.
Key #1: Identify the Performance Issue
Identify the negative behavior that is holding the individual back not a problem for most people. Then describe it in the opposite, positive terms.
For example, if the employee lacks finesse when dealing with clients and behaves like a bull in a china shop the manager would ask for the employee to develop a more polished and professional style.
When an employee makes frequent mistakes the manager would talk in terms of developing more accuracy.
For the employee who chronically complains that everything is a problem, but never offers any solutions, the manager might ask the employee to develop a problem solving approach.
Key #2: Be Specific about the Desired Change
It is important to get specific about what you mean by a more polished and professional approach, more accuracy or a problem solving approach. For example, What I mean by develop a problem solving approach is that when you first notice a problem that is preventing you from getting your job done to first think through a solution and then approach me if it's something you need my help with.
Key #3: Detail the Benefits of Making the Change
Lastly, it is useful to explain to the employee the benefit of developing the performance area. Ask yourself Why do I want the employee to make this change?
In the case of the chronic complainer who never offers solutions their behavior most likely creates negativity, wastes time and garners complaints from co-workers who are sick and tired of listening to this person drone on about what's wrong.
So, the here's why I'm asking you to focus on this part of the message would sound something like this, The reason I want you to focus on solving problems is that people will notice and appreciate a how do I make things better around here approach, it will make more constructive use of the time we have and it will bring more positive energy into the team.
Notice how the message is still honest yet it talks in terms of what WILL happen when the employee develops a problem solving approach.
These keys are the core of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, a step-by-step methodology designed to make anyone comfortable delivering even the most difficult feedback.
Conclusion
Talking in terms of the desired performance versus the current undesired performance serves two purposes:
- We are more likely to initiate the discussion because the wording makes it more comfortable to deliver the feedback.
- The employee learns what is expected (as opposed to focusing on what's wrong) with their dignity intact
Bypassing negative performance descriptions and the resulting negative employee reaction allows the employee to respond more positively; ultimately facilitating the move towards the solution phase of the discussion the ultimate goal of feedback.
A simple rule of thumb is to provide the employee with the opportunity to receive the feedback and make progress on the issue. Only when it is clear that the employee is unwilling or unable to make progress should more extreme measures be used -- such as disciplinary action or documented performance plans.
- Jamie Resker, President, Employee Performance Solutions
Jamie is recognized as an established thought leader and innovator in the area of performance management. She is the originator of the Performance Continuum Feedback Method®, a tool for systematically diagnosing employee performance issues and development opportunities and crafting messages about even the most sensitive behavior based issues. For more information on Jamie or the Performance Continuum Feedback Method, visit www.employeeperformancesolutions.com.
Posted by Elizabeth Counts on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 @ 10:51 AM
Despite the positive tone that managers will bring to the performance evaluations, there will occasionally be difficult situations. Maybe you have to review poorly performing workers, deal with insubordinate employees, or overcome personal conflicts. There are three key points for managers to remember when dealing with difficult situations.
Be Prepared
Providing negative performance reviews requires managers to be even more prepared than for positive reviews. Managers need to be able to give specific instances to back-up any negative ratings or comments. To do this, managers should review all previous reviews and any disciplinary actions regarding an employee prior to the meeting. However, no "surprises" should be brought up in the performance review. Only issues that have surfaced and been discussed before with the employee in some way should be included as part of the review.
Be Honest
It is always important for reviewing managers to be honest with employees, even more so when dealing with difficult situations. Honesty is crucial for two reasons. First, it builds a bond of trust with the employee, even if the situation is less than desirable. Likely, a problem situation will have been discussed prior to the actual review, so being forthright with employees will appear "natural" to the process, while pretending that prior events did not happen will cause distrust. Second, the employee needs to hear specifically, and without confusion, how his or her performance or attitude comes across.
Be Calm
No matter what happens in a performance review, managers should always stay calm, and remember that they are in charge. Defensive or argumentative behavior by an employee should not distract the manager from delivering a complete and honest assessment. In those situations where the review process completely breaks down, it is still up to the manager to remain calm, handle the situation authoritatively, and be resolute in taking the next action steps.
How have you handled difficult employee appraisals in the past?