9.3 THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE A GREAT BOSS: Dealing with Poor Performance

(SHORT NOTES FROM TEAM MANAGEMENT: Performance Management at http://www.mindtools.com)

 

To figure out what's causing the performance issue, you have to get to the root of the problem.  Because employee performance affects organizational performance, we tend to want to look for a quick fix.  These types of solutions focus largely on the ability of the person performing the job.  Performance, though, is a function of both ability and motivation.

Performance = Ability x Motivation

Where:

Ability is the person's aptitude, as well as the training and resources supplied by the organization.

Motivation is the product of desire and commitment.

Before you can fix poor performance, you have to understand its cause. Does it come from lack of ability or low motivation?  Incorrect diagnoses can lead to lots of problems later on.

Increasing Personal Accountability

Conducting a performance interview and providing feedback are only the start.  It's not enough to simply tell employee what you expect them to do, and then place the sole responsibility for follow-through on their shoulders.  Performance management takes more of a team approach – the person who's doing the work needs to feel supported and encouraged for the duration of the process, just as he or she needs to feel personally held to account for the outcome.