“I have this employee in my department that keeps asking questions over and over. They can’t seem to get clear on any of the operation procedures, standards and expectations of what they’re supposed to get done. It’s so tiresome having to keep going over all this stuff with them. We have checklists and have documented all the procedures, but nothing is really working. The rest of the folks in the department are doing just fine/”
I’ve seen this scenario.
The department is running well except for this one employee who is continually asking questions even though everything has been explained and it is all written down.
OK, here’s what I have to say about this.
There comes a time, after reasonable steps have been taken, that this becomes an accountability issue rather than a re-training situation or continued efforts to find the magic pathway to somehow make it work.
If we have done our part by providing retraining, going over checklists and clarifying expectations we need to manage ourselves and leave behind answering questions for them over and over again. Instead we move forward with structured coaching, performance improvement and when needed progressing to performance warnings.
One of the expectations we will want to clarify is that they are able to be clear on procedures and expectations. And currently this expectation is not being met.
That they are able to solve problems by relying upon existing resources.
Sometimes the obstacles for an employee are their mindset. How they perceive their job or work tasks. We can coach for new points of view if they are willing. Sometimes someone is just not able to do what is expected. All the desire on their part and re-training on your part is not going to get them there.
Whether it is skill, will, or ability once we have provided training and coaching and things don’t improve it is our job to respond and follow accountability pathways.
The message here is that underperforming can be disguised in many forms and it’s easy to be sidetracked by things like confusion; however, in all its forms it is still just underperforming, and this is an issue of walking the steps of management.
We do not have to be a victim to situations like these, or allow the employee’s confusion to become our own, we just need to use our tools.
Go forth with confidence,
I’ve seen this scenario.
The department is running well except for this one employee who is continually asking questions even though everything has been explained and it is all written down.
OK, here’s what I have to say about this.
There comes a time, after reasonable steps have been taken, that this becomes an accountability issue rather than a re-training situation or continued efforts to find the magic pathway to somehow make it work.
If we have done our part by providing retraining, going over checklists and clarifying expectations we need to manage ourselves and leave behind answering questions for them over and over again. Instead we move forward with structured coaching, performance improvement and when needed progressing to performance warnings.
One of the expectations we will want to clarify is that they are able to be clear on procedures and expectations. And currently this expectation is not being met.
That they are able to solve problems by relying upon existing resources.
Sometimes the obstacles for an employee are their mindset. How they perceive their job or work tasks. We can coach for new points of view if they are willing. Sometimes someone is just not able to do what is expected. All the desire on their part and re-training on your part is not going to get them there.
Whether it is skill, will, or ability once we have provided training and coaching and things don’t improve it is our job to respond and follow accountability pathways.
The message here is that underperforming can be disguised in many forms and it’s easy to be sidetracked by things like confusion; however, in all its forms it is still just underperforming, and this is an issue of walking the steps of management.
We do not have to be a victim to situations like these, or allow the employee’s confusion to become our own, we just need to use our tools.
Go forth with confidence,