Barbara Brown, PhD shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for linking performance. Handbook topics include Linking Time Management To Results, Linking Customer Service To Results, and others. Dr. Brown also offers E-Courses and E-Consulting as well as onsite training and consulting.
Website: http://www.LinkToResults.net
Email: Barbara@LinkToResults.net Blog: http://www.LinkToResults.net/blog
When it comes to performance, what one employee does (or does not do) can negatively impact the performance of other employees. Think about the employee who does not submit information on time to a coworker who needs it to complete a critical report. Think about the employee who fails to schedule the training room for a coworker who must conduct a training class. You can probably think of numerous similar situations you have encountered in the past or are encountering now.
So why not use what you know about “how one employee’s performance impacts other employees” to encourage better performance? How? When you talk about performance problems, talk about the impact on the “work” that others do. Here are three ways:
1. Timeliness: Consider how a failure to meet deadlines prevents other employees from completing their assignments in a timely manner. Describe the specific assignments of others and emphasize how important these assignments are. Keep the focus on the “value of the assignment."
2. Productivity: Think about how a failure to accomplish tasks impacts other employees. Does it impact how fast others are able to process requests from customers? Does it impact how fast others are able to deliver products to customers? During your discussion, explain how the lack of productivity affects the end “product or service” others provide.
3. Quality: When work is incomplete or incorrect, what is the impact on other employees? Quality could impair others ability to give accurate information to customers. Quality could also cause others to have to redo assignments. When you talk about quality, highlight the negative impact on the “jobs” that others do.
Using An “Impact Focus” Is Useful
When you talk to employees about poor performance, you want to explain “why” good performance matters from a “work” perspective. Of course, you can always use the paycheck and performance rating as primary reasons. But these reasons don’t necessarily encourage employees to perform well continuously and consistently. And that’s the kind of performance you want. So you need other ways to discuss performance improvement. Try this one. You may get the performance you want.
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