What do you do when someone isn’t performing well—they’re not meeting expectations, hitting goals, or demonstrating the must-haves of their role? How much should you invest in performance improvement? When is it time to let someone go? And, how the #@$% do you decide? These four steps will help you navigate the tricky processes of addressing performance problems.
Here’s an example of what an initial, informal warning conversation might sound like with an employee who’s struggling.
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a written plan with clear steps to help your staff member get to the expected level of performance for their role. This toolkit includes two resources: 1) a preparation worksheet for managers, which can be helpful whether or not you’re ready for a formal PIP; and 2) a template for a written Performance Improvement Plan you can fill in and share with your staff member.
Check out this case study that illustrates the four steps outlined in our article on addressing performance problems: reflect, check in, assess, consider and decide.
What do you do when someone isn’t performing well—they’re not meeting expectations, hitting goals, or demonstrating the must-haves of their role? How much should you invest in performance improvement? When is it time to let someone go? And, how the #@$% do you decide? These four steps will help you navigate the tricky processes of addressing performance problems.
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a written plan with clear steps to help your staff member get to the expected level of performance for their role. This toolkit includes two resources: 1) a preparation worksheet for managers, which can be helpful whether or not you’re ready for a formal PIP; and 2) a template for a written Performance Improvement Plan you can fill in and share with your staff member.
Here are some tricky performance scenarios our clients have encountered, and suggestions for designing a responsive performance improvement plan.
How long should you give someone to improve after warning them? What should I do when someone isn’t meeting expectations, but I can’t pinpoint concrete things they messed up either? Here are some questions that we often hear regarding performance problems.
Read this article for advice on what to do when a staff member responds to feedback with defensiveness.
Here’s our advice about coaching a disorganized staff member. (Note: you can apply these tips to coaching about other issues too!)
Here’s an example of what an initial, informal warning conversation might sound like with an employee who’s struggling.
When corrective feedback and support hasn’t led to improved employee performance, a more formal warning that clearly informs the employee that their job is in jeopardy is usually the next step. Here is an example of a formal performance warning in writing.
We know it can help to see samples of this sort of thing, so here’s a sample evaluation of a struggling employee.
A coaching-out conversation is aimed at convincing an employee that continued tenure in the role doesn’t make sense and agreeing on a smooth transition plan.
Managers often struggle to find the right words to use when letting an employee go, so here’s a sample script.
Progressive discipline consists of a brief series of increasingly serious warnings, culminating in dismissal if an employee fails to improve sufficiently – and lets your staff know that they won’t be fired without first knowing about your concerns.
Here is a list of some of the most common choice points, or key decision-making opportunities, managers face that may have equity and inclusion impacts.
Un plan de mejora del rendimiento (PIP) es un plan escrito con pasos claros para ayudar a su personal a alcanzar el nivel de rendimiento esperado para su función. Este kit de herramientas incluye dos recursos: 1) una hoja de trabajo de preparación para gerentes, que puede ser útil tanto si se está preparado para un PIP formal y 2) una plantilla para un Plan de Mejora del Rendimiento por escrito que puede rellenar y compartir con su miembro del personal.
An interactive, fast-paced crash course in the basics of effective, equitable management. Covers skills like delegation, role clarity, setting goals, and developing staff.
If you’ve completed Managing to Change the World, this course builds on those lessons and helps you apply equity and inclusion in key aspects of management.