Performance Management

A. Remember – You’re the Supervisor

• Be a model of the behavior you want to see
• Listen and observe first hand (be out there)
• Accept mistakes as learning tools
• Provide consistent support and feedback
• Use respect
• Communicate with your people
• Look for “on the spot” moments
• Never let an employee go down a dead end road
• Everything counts – you get no free passes

B. Coaching and/or Mentoring

• Show employees the big picture and examples of where they fit in
• Identify gaps between performance and expectations
• Provide one-on-one customized help to develop skills (mentor)

C. Counseling

• Appreciate their willingness to try to change
• There is an agreement that a gap in performance exists
• There is an agreement as to what the gap is and what to do about it
• There is an agreement to take action to fill the gap
• Reward the new behavior or agree to keep working on it

D. Training

• Send the employee to formalized training
• Analyze feedback to see the areas where training may not be taking hold

E. Giving Constructive Feedback (don’t give criticism unless you can take it)

• Convey your positive intent (your outcome/expectations)
• Describe specifically what you have observed
• State the impact of the behavior/action
• Ask the employee to respond
• Focus discussion on solutions
• Commit to a solution that you both agree to
• Follow-up