They Get Better, or They Go Away.

In reference to work relationships, I hope and believe my blog posts run toward positive and enthusiastic. Believing in people; expecting and recognizing work ethic and attitude I hope is a theme. Yet not everyone can play for the Yankees, and circumstances arise where a colleague does not fit; does not make the team better. As a boss, how do you handle this substandard colleague.

First, one must recognize accurately the problem. I ask myself this question,

• Is the team better off with or without this individual in the long term?

What I intend to crystallize is, does this person go beyond my minimum standards?

If the answer is yes, I do want this person as my teammate, then my feedback via reviews, raps, and informal communication is a sandwich. Good-bad-good. And I use lots of these to deliver positive messaging i.e. constructive. It is productive. It establishes something to shoot for. Behaviorally or statistically and via skill set.

If the answer however is no, I don’t want this teammate at this performance level, then I trigger the progressive disciplinary process. Write ‘em up. Memorialize circumstances of underperformance.

You you know what happens when you write someone up? There are two possible outcomes. They either get better, or they go away. By go away, I mean they fire themselves. Whether they outright resign or they continue to underperform.

When you write someone up, you are making them sign a document acknowledging the feedback and outlining expectations moving forward.

They either get better, which is great, or you write them up again. The process takes its course.

But what about the “yes” employee, the one who brings value to the team? What if you write them up when they screw up? Most people do screw up at some point. Will they like that situation any better? Even if they know they goofed, it just doesn’t feel good and in the silence of your heart you’ll know it does not feel long term, this job where you got written up.

Ever sat in a room and had someone tell you that you don’t do a very good job, now sign here to make sure I get this in your file properly? I’m guessing not, but if so I’ll bet you didn’t like it much. And I’ll suspect you don’t work there anymore.

Don’t write up good employees.

If you are in a corporate environment, my plan sounds like a scheme to get you into HR jail. That department will think your ways evil. God Bless them, but HR’s main goals are primarily about staying out of court and minimizing legal fees. Hiring is animated as much by fear of disparate impact or HIPPA audits as building a lean, efficient, proud work force. I don’t blame them. That is how they get measured. Or perhaps by retention rates or workers comp expenses.  Upper reaches of HR departments don’t really pay attention to customer service scores.

So what I’m telling you to do might be looked askance at in some quarters.

I’ll use punctuality to illustrate what HR would see as the problem. Let’s say you have two employees who both show up 10 or so minutes late with frequency.

Employee 1 is fantastic in most regards other than this habit of coming in late. Appreciated by colleagues, clients, and vendors, our Employee 1 is role model stuff.

Employee 2 has a poor attitude, not caring whether she works well with others. When you challenge her work ethic, she replies, “It’s not that I’m apathetic, I just don’t care.”

A little bit funny?

The right thing to do would be to treat both employees the same. Document both or neither. No disparity in treatment. That is the safe way. But its not the way to build a group of high achievers with shared goals, a team

I’m not suggesting conversation with Employee 1 doesn’t occur, but no way am I sitting her down to sign some file-oriented document. That changes relationships and does not build trust.

No, rather, I provide air cover to great employees. I don’t major in the minors.

But the other? The one who refuses to run toward our team goals. Nope- capture where we need improvement, and if it does not happen I let the normal course of our progressive discipline gain traction.

If the written warnings result in improved performance, all the better. Sometimes those slow-grow types end up being pillars. Written warnings are not designed to be mean.   They should be delivered in a positive and productive way, outlining a path to success. And if the underperformer chooses that path, you can both take pride. Heck, you’ll be a little bit of a hero and so with the employee.

When you write someone up, they get better or they go away.

If a good employee goes away, that is bad. So I resist write-ups. In regard to the underperformer, both outcomes are good for the team.

One last comment, albeit tertiary. The Halo effect is hard to resist. The halo effect can allow a favorite or a friend or someone who overall is good but has a fatal flaw to be masked. The subordinate who manages up well can often create that halo effect. It is even possible, gasp! that your staff makes a bit of fun of you at your expense.

So that’s it in a nutshell as a way to develop a strategy managing your folks. Want to keep them? Strive not to document missteps. If better off without them, memorialize and either they get better or they go away; both outcomes with which you will be pleased.