Leaders and Managers often ask us, ‘What do you do when you
have tried to coach and counsel an employee about a performance
concern, and the employee has not responded?
Unfortunately, we see far too many cases where the leader
hasn’t, in good faith, tried to coach the employee or to put the
leader’s concerns into words. Often, leaders look for a quick
fix alternative to what is perceived as a difficult and painful
confrontation.
We have also learned from first-hand experience that managem
ent coaching is not a one-shot effort. It takes regular
ongoing discussions and experiences to achieve the level of
support and cooperation needed. When you have truly exhausted
all your good-faith efforts to coach an employee into change,
you have the right to move to the next best alternative, a
coaching based solution.
In certain situations, employees have grown accustomed to and
dependent on heavy authority in the workplace, or they just
don’t feel attached to the job or organization. We are not
advocating that the leader wait for someone to pass out a
permission slip to try a different approach; rather, the leader
should tell the employee that the management coaching approach
hasn’t worked and it is time to take a different path. Probably
the best thing a leader can do is literally call a time-out,
pull back, and reexamine the entire interpersonal/working
contract or agreement with the employee. The leader needs to
reconsider the basic assumptions and understanding about the
employee’s role and terms of employment in the organization.
This is a major renegotiation effort.
It is very possible that the job demands or personal
expectations and objectives of the employee or leader have
changed sufficiently that a real pressure point has been created
in the leader/employee relationship. Remember, a social contract
between a leader and employee works as long as there is “mutual
consent and valid consideration” for both parties. If a new
agreement and shared vision of common goals can be reached, then
a new state of leader/employee stability and equilibrium will be
achieved. If not, the leader and employee should begin to
explore and plan a way to separate effectively.
Some leaders say they can’t get along without the employee. No
problem – you simply need to look for creative ways to
restructure the employee’s job or reassign or retrain the
employee to cut your losses and limit your exposure. You may
consider “down-sizing” the employee’s role to fit the needs of
the situation.
Another strategy is to pursue a path or formal disciplinary or
probationary action. Obviously this is riskier; it may be a path
of no return in the sense that cultivating a healthy
relationship in a climate of hostility and possible resentment,
anger, and embarrassment over disciplinary action is difficult.
You may be forced to pursue this path to the unpleasant end of a
separation, the ultimate challenge for any leader.
The other thing you may consider is to take two aspirin, grin
and bear it, and go on lots of short vacations.
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