Are You a Performance Management Avoider?
Part 2
by Bobbi Bennett, MA, PHR, IMPA-CP
RGS Human Resources Advisor
This article is the second in a series and discusses how the supervisor can make a difference in the organization in which they work and for the group that they supervise.
If you are avoiding or procrastinating performance management responsibilities, then you are avoiding your job as a supervisor/leader. The greatest challenge human resources has in assisting you manage your employees is you. That’s because you don’t take the necessary actions required of a supervisor/leader until the issue has grown to the point you can no longer ignore it.
“Oh, it’s only one time” and then it turns into 3 or 4 times and yet you say or do nothing? If so, it’s because taking action is pushing you out of your comfort zone. It’s putting a hot poke on your issue. “I don’t like judging people.” “People won’t like me.”
Know Yourself
You must know yourself as a supervisor and leader. Be honest with yourself regarding your issues and what makes you uncomfortable. Decide how you can address these issues or just recognize that each time you will be uncomfortable. This is not “touchy feely” stuff. Knowing your supervisor/leadership strengths and weakness is no different than acknowledging your other work strength and weaknesses.
It may also be helpful to ask those you supervise. At various intervals, I ask, “How can we communicate better? What can I do to improve our working relationship?” “How can I help you succeed in this assignment?” It’s key to not get angry or upset about the feedback. Remember this is to help your professional growth and being a more effective leader. Give employees permission to be honest. If they can’t be honest with you, then they will not expect honesty from you.
Get Comfortable with Discomfort
I have been in the position where I have had to tell individuals that they are being released from employment. Each time before I start the conversation, my stomach has been in a knot. I accept that and work hard to not let my discomfort prevent or derail the conversation. I’m there to facilitate the individual through the termination process and that can’t be done if I am more concerned about how I feel and wanting to avoid being uncomfortable. More than likely, you will have to facilitate an employee through a performance issue. It may make you uncomfortable but it’s your responsibility.
So many supervisors will say that an employee is a problem because the employee is unwilling to get out of their comfort zone. You can’t expect your employees to get out of their comfort zone if you are unwilling to take the same trip. You need to learn to be comfortable with your discomfort.
Know Your Employees
Of greater concern is if you avoid or procrastinate performance management because you don’t talk to those you supervisor, have no idea what they are working on, or know their career goals. The burden is on you as a supervisor/leader to have a solid understanding of each employee. What are the employee’s strengths, weakness? What are the employee’s career aspirations? These are important to know so that you can help facilitate their profession growth. If you can’t answer these questions for each employee you supervise, you need to start those conversations immediately.
My career took off after my supervisor was honest with me about how to provide a more effective work product. Sure, I could have just blamed my supervisor and not owned it. Some of those you supervise will do that. However, I have found that most employees are very committed to doing a good job and wanting to promote their professional development. You have the keystone responsibility of coaching employees and helping them in their professional development.
Customize Your Communication
You not only need to know what the employees you supervise are doing or hoping to achieve, you need to commit to recognizing how best to communicate with each one as an individual. With one employee you may need to be direct. Another employee’s communication style and ability to hear what’s being said may require you to approach it differently. We are all individuals. You cannot take the same approach to performance management conversations. Don’t make the avoider statement, “I don’t know how to talk to this employee.” You are the supervisor. Figure it out.
Along the same line, strive to be a better listener. The more you truly listen to what employees say, the more they will feel that you value and respect them.
Performance Management Feedback
Performance management is complex; however no matter the employee’s issues or your personal areas of discomfort, there are some basic things to keep in mind.
1. Provide performance feedback on things the employee can change.
Avoid talking about personality traits, which typically can’t be altered, and focus on the actual behavior/outcome you want the employee to achieve.
2. When giving negative performance feedback, get precise.
Share specific examples of what performance is not meeting expectations. Don’t make general statements. An employee can’t change something if there is not a clear point of reference of what went wrong. Making general statements is avoidance and being clear has an advantage – it may prevent you having to have the conversation again.
3. Don’t pit team members against one another.
When speaking to an employee, only address the employee’s performance. Don’t compare the employee to another employee, good or bad. If you are telling an employee you supervisor how another employee isn’t going their job, the employee will be left thinking, “What does she say about me to others?” Bottom line, talking about or comparing employees to those you supervisor, will not contribute to an effective and efficient team.
4. Focus on strengths.
Doing this gets employees excited and motivated. Just saying, “Thanks for doing a great job today” can be a simple way to recognize an employee’s strengths.
Here’s Your Challenge
As a supervisor, you are a leader given the task of managing the workforce to accomplish the agency’s and department’s goals. The workforce is an agency’s largest resource. If you are avoiding the management of the workforce you are not meeting the performance expectations of your position.
So here’s the challenge to you.
1. Be honest with yourself and get to know your performance management strengths and weaknesses.
2. Lay out a professional development plan on being better at performance management. It may include trainings, reading, getting a mentor, or speaking with your favorite human resources professional.
3. Accept that you are going to have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
4. Get to know your employees. You cannot be an effective leader if you don’t fully understand the resources you have to work with.
5. While being respectful of the individual, challenge bad behavior and poor performance quickly and decisively.
In the article, “Performance Management…It’s Not One Thing”, the first article of the series Keys to Performance Management, there are some tips that are worth reviewing and building upon as you continue to build your performance management skills.
What you permit is what you promote. What are you promoting by being a performance management avoider?
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