We need to correct our corrective actions.
Written by HRuprise founder, Rebecca Weaver.
One of the hardest parts of being a boss is telling an employee their performance isn’t up to snuff.
But as a leader, holding employees accountable is just part of the job. Right?
Well, yes... but there's much more to it than that.
Too many company policies around corrective action put all the focus on the “bad” employee, while letting the company and its leaders off the hook.
If an employee is failing to meet your expectations, there's every likelihood that YOU have helped contribute to their failure.
After all, you assessed this employee's experience, reputation, work ethic and collaborative style when you hired them. You concluded that they could do the job effectively.
So what went wrong?
Maybe you misjudged their capacity to perform the job in the first place.
Or maybe there's something about your workplace environment that has prevented them from manifesting their capabilities to their full potential.
This employee might be neurodivergent, and require a different structure to their workflow.
They might be dealing with microaggressions that are impeding their focus.
They might feel like their ideas aren’t valued, so they've stopped trying.
It’s not that you won’t have genuine problem performers. And we're not saying you should play the blame game when issues do crop up.
But oftentimes a “problem performer” is sending up a flare over a deeper issue within your company. If you focus too much on the individual's performance, you'll miss the bigger message.
A problem performance could very well be a signal that you need to eradicate a bias, make a policy more inclusive, revamp your company culture, or modify an operation so it functions better for everyone.
Don’t miss an opportunity to get better.
Every time you label someone a “problem performer,” put yourself and the company on a performance improvement plan as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: REBECCA WEAVER
Rebecca Weaver is the Founder and CEO of HRuprise, a marketplace that connects people with HR coaches to help them grow, develop, and navigate their toughest workplace challenges. LEARN MORE
