Tips in Handling Performance Conversations
Performance conversations are critical to any business or company because they provide the venue for both supervisors and employees to send/receive feedback, address issues that affect productivity and discuss ways to improve performance. Supervisors must always keep in mind that they need to show employees that they value them if they expect to have an open discussion with their staff members. Here are other ways to handle performance conversations effectively, encourage workers to share their thoughts and get the information you need to improve employee motivation.
Fair treatment: By this, it means that you should have performance conversations with every member of your staff whether they are underperforming, just doing an average work or they are ahead of their peers. Obviously, talking to those with lagging performance is necessary so you can find out what the problem is and how you can help. If you are thinking that there is no need to have performance conversations with people who are doing well at work, think again. It is equally important to talk to the achievers in your team to acknowledge their contributions and give them further encouragement. This is a great way to keep them motivated. Plus, when you single out those with performance and productivity issues, you will only de-motivate them further.
Less talk, more listening: Performance conversations are supposed to be dialogues so make sure to give the employee a chance to be heard. In fact, it is much better if you talk less and listen more to what the employee has to say about his recent performance. Frame your questions in such a way that you will get the information you need without being offensive or judgmental. Ask them what they think should be done to resolve issues. This consultative approach makes employees feel that you value them and that you are confident that they can improve their performance, hence, increasing motivation.
Of all the questions that you need to ask during performance conversations, be very careful when asking "Why?" especially when there is an issue because when the person starts to feel that he is being interrogated then the natural tendency is to be defensive and this may cause the person to lie or make up excuses to justify behavior or just get off the hook. Assure the employee that you are only trying to resolve an issue and that you just need their help in order to do this. You can also ask if they have any suggestions about solving the problem.
When done properly, performance conversations bring great benefits to a company through favorable changes in the workforce. However, if the supervisor or coach fails to handle performance conversations carefully it can devastate employee motivation. So, keep the above guidelines in mind for smooth performance conversations that work.
