Module 1

Why is it important to manage poor performance?

• Set expectations for your team. It's important for your team to realize the expectations you have for their performance, including the quality of work you expect to receive from them.
• Share a disciplinary process. Part of working as a manager and communicating expectations is then forming progressive discipline steps you can follow if an employee is not adhering to procedure or showcasing poor performance. Disciplinary steps can show an employee what they can expect if they take certain actions, and it should leave little question as to the importance of their work.
• Improve communication and trust. When you're able to manage the poor performance of a team member, they can come to trust you more, and you may find that the other members of your team do too. Addressing someone's poor performance tells their co-workers that you support and appreciate them for continuing to work hard and having a positive attitude in the workplace.

Module 2

Strategies to successfully manage poor work performance

• Address the issue immediately.
  • The sooner you can communicate with an employee about their unsatisfactory performance, the sooner they can fix the problem. The employee may not even be aware that they aren't meeting expectations, so an open conversation about their performance can help them stay on track to improve their work and remain satisfied in the workplace.

Provide honest feedback

• When you speak to your employee about their performance.
  • It's imperative that you're honest with them. Discuss any shortcomings you've noticed and explain how their performance affects the productivity of the entire team. Provide some examples to your employee so that there isn't a question about what you mean, as miscommunication can also impact work performance, collaboration, and trust.

Encourage accountability

• Employees are more likely to work hard when they know the rest of the team is counting on their performance to meet collective goals. Encourage all the members of your team to support each other, ask for help when they need it and engage in a sincere conversation with those who seem as if they may be struggling in their role. When employees recognize the importance of their work, they are more likely to remain engaged in it and with those they work alongside.

Module 3

Form a performance improvement plan

• A performance improvement plan is a documented plan that provides some guidance to the employee on how they can enhance their performance. Based on your conversation with your employee, consider writing a performance plan that includes the new goals they have for improving their work, when you'd like to see these improvements in action and if you'll meet consistently to discuss their progression.

Follow up with your employee

• Part of managing poor performance is being able to provide support to your employees and give them the opportunity to improve. Your encouragement can make a sizable difference in their confidence, how loyal they are to the organization and their ability to assess their performance and make improvements. Consider regularly meeting with your employee to discuss their performance and ensure they aren't continuing old habits.

Recognize your employee's strengths

• Your employee's poor performance could be because they feel unmotivated at work, so you may find that acknowledging their strengths and any strong performance they put forth results in more quality work. Also, knowing the strengths of your employees can help you place them in positions or give them additional responsibilities that help them thrive

• HR Manager
• Office administrators
• Team Lead
• Managers
• General Managers and all other leaders in the people management portfolio.