Performance Management - By Assuming Nothing

Unhappy as Jenny undoubtedly was, she held on very tightly to her job. After all, she had worked her way up over the years to the supervisory role she was in - and she wasn't going to let go. Yet it was clear that she was unhappy, under pressure and unsure of what she could do to make things better. For her business and more so, for herself. For me, she was letting me down in a number of ways and my inability to resolve her performance had, for a while, been my Achilles heel in the view of my boss too.

To start the process of resolving this, we had spoken formally, several times, over previous months until she finally came to see me, as we reviewed her unsatisfactory performance yet again. It was just after Christmas and she hadn't been able to deliver what our retail business desperately needed, at that vital time.

During the discussion, we reached a point where I had to tell her that she hadn't been performing adequately and I had several pieces of evidence to share with her. I asked her how best we could find a way to resolve this, which would suit her and give her a dignified way to step down. Otherwise, we would have to go through a period of maintained pressure and ongoing stress for her. Jenny confided in me that she had decided the time had come to step down herself, as her brother had recently had a heart attack through the challenges he had experienced in his workplace.

Jenny took the brave decision to step down and I encouraged her to write the notice-board announcement. We agreed a reducing salary package over a period of time which would soften the blow and she took on a lesser role, which she loved and brought great value to.

Jenny told me later that the way we had been able to resolve the matter had 'saved her life'. I thanked her for her attitude throughout the period and knew, inside, that dealing with the Jenny 'issue', had been a big learning for me and my own career.

Sometimes assumptions lead us to think that what we need to do, which may seem really painful, are inherently 'bad' for all. Yet in truth, a difficult situation is not just about ourselves - sometimes, embracing the issue can truly help others as well.

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com (Note to editors. This article may be edited for use in your publication or newsletter as long as a live link to the website is included)

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

In The News:

---

So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

The following information is based upon over 500 interviews with... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management: Specialisation or Generalisation?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

How Invisible Communication Barriers Kill Productivity

Many kinds of interferences or disturbances can confuse a message.... Read More

The Dog That Didnt Bark

A few weeks ago, after consultations with others in an... Read More

The 20/60/20 Rule Of Leadership. Dont Go Solving The Wrong Problems

Several decades ago, a passenger jet approached a Florida airport... Read More

Innovation Management ? Emotion, Habit, and Culture can be Hard to Change!

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Get Meeting off To a Great Start

When asked what part of their job they find a... Read More

Weaknesses of Wishing

When you're starting a business, you might wish for a... Read More

Five Reasons Why Leaders Fail to Create Successful Change

A bold title, don't you think? I mean, change is... Read More

Communication Mix-Up

My friend Delia is the owner of a small private... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure

Measure.The first key question to answer in starting a problem-solving... Read More

Great Groups! - Getting a Group to Think Like a Genius

Great Groups! - Getting a Group to Think Like a... Read More

Organisational Culture for Continuous Improvement

I have been working with leading Business Improvement guru, Tim... Read More

1000 Managers Turned Their Plans Into Energy!

I bet you can't tell me how leadership training and... Read More

Invoice Factoring for Goverment Vendors

Assignment of Claims Act of 1986"....What does this mean for... Read More

How to Attract and Retain the Right People

If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding... Read More

What Makes A Good Media Story?

Media relations can be difficult, but also rewarding. And the... Read More

5 Questions Great Managers Ask (and they arent hard!)

However hard we try, we seem to make life more... Read More

Preparing For ISO 9001 2000 Registration

The steps need to be taken to prepare an organization... Read More

Employee Discipline: How to Nip Problems in the Bud

Are you uncomfortable with delivering disciplinary action, even involving employees... Read More

Small Business Outsourcing: An Introduction

Outsourcing is the delegation of a business process to an... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Maximize the Two People Inside

Every one of us, in reality, has two people inside:... Read More

Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Begin With Goals

Goals are critically important for the success of a meeting.... Read More

Employee Motivation - Access Their Unique Talents

Your people are invaluable to you. They are the lifeblood... Read More

The High Cost of Employee Turnover Among Project Managers

Imagine for a moment this scenario from a frustrated Senior... Read More

Basic Management Skills

Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at... Read More

Vampire Meetings and How To Slay Them

Meetings can be like mythical vampires ? sucking the life... Read More

ISO 9001 and Total Quality Management

Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management, or TQM, has become one... Read More

Commercial Collections Billing Practices Advice

Swiftness is the key to collecting past due commercial accounts... Read More

Think Time... Its Now Or Never

I recently read an article published in the June, 2005... Read More

Management & Leadership - Doing it right in the 21st Century

The Old Way ? Command and ControlAlthough workplaces and management... Read More

How To Get 10% More Work Out Of Your Employees

It is getting harder to run a business for a... Read More

Knowledge Management - Learning Whilst Doing - Facilitating an After Action Review

Introducing a learning culture into organisations can be difficult at... Read More