Management Tips: 5 Rules for Confronting Poor Work Performance

Many organisational managers see reprimanding employees as something to avoid or be dreadful about. But is a worker is doing something that puts a team, project, relationships, or the whole company in jeopardy, the manager has to do and say something. Allowing the act to continue could hurt the organisation; the career, morale, and productivity of other employees; and the reputation of the manager. Below are the five rules for confronting a poor-performing employee: 

1. Do not confront in anger. Never let the situation become emotional. Before doing anything, it pays to check on your emotions. 

2. Do it immediately. Take as much time as you need in getting your emotions together, as as soon as you have done so, confront him without any delay. Delaying the confrontation results to increased angst around the notion of confronting bad or poor work performance. When you wait too long, the situation might spiral out of control. 

3. Confront the person in private. This does not mean you should proceed to your office and shut the door. It means that you're not supposed to do it in from of his peers. You do not have to make it a huge event. It can be done a bit casually, such as while walking down the hallway, or getting water from the dispenser. Oftentimes, summoning the employee to your office for a close-door conversation creates a tense atmosphere.

4. Be specific and factual. Use actual data and evidence to support your case, and always focus on the behaviour not on the person. Bringing impressions or hearsay into the conversation won't make your words completely valid and reliable. 

5. Be clear. Don't confuse the person by sugar-coating it or hiding the fact that it is actually a reprimand. Because most managers feel uneasy, they tend to end the conversation with "Overall, you are doing a truly good job!" Since people oftentimes choose to hear what they want to hear and leave out the rest, employees cling on to such statements and step out of the office thinking they were just given praise. So do not praise and confront at the same time.

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