“You cannot change what you refuse to confront.” John Spence
A small percentage of employees may not respond to your coaching and feedback. Their performance continues to go downhill, or they change for a few weeks and then revert to their old behaviors. In these situations, taking disciplinary action is required.
Most companies use a form of progressive discipline that involves these steps:
- Verbal warning
- Written warning
- Final written warning or suspension
- Discharge
The objective of disciplinary action is to “formally” let the person know their performance is not meeting your expectations.
Taking disciplinary action is an example of “tough love.” It shows you care about the person and believe they can improve. It also sends a message to your organization. You have clear expectations and will hold people accountable. However, taking disciplinary action is stressful and requires difficult conversations.
Based on my 20 years of working in human resources, most employees change their behavior after receiving a verbal or written warning.
The content of your warning
When preparing a verbal or written warning, it is effective to cover these points.
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- What the employee has done. “You have been late in submitting your project reports four times in the last month.” Stick to the facts and be able to document what the employee has done.
- What you (the leader) have done. “On three occasions, I have stressed the importance of submitting all reports by the required due date.” When you maintain good supervisory notes, you have a record of the dates and times and summaries of what you previously have said.
- Describe what you expect. Establish a performance plan. Indicate what the person needs to do over the next 30 days. Be specific and include precise deadlines.
- Describe additional consequences. “If you do not make the specific improvements I described, you are subject to further discipline up to and including discharge.”
Stick to the facts and do not go into excessive details. If you think alcohol or drugs are involved, seek guidance from your employee assistance program and human resources department.
Administering discipline
Always do it in a private location. Use a directing style. This is not the time for lengthy discussions. Review the four points described above and ensure that the person understands the significance of receiving a verbal or written warning. Require employees to sign written warnings.
Alan Edington, the vice president of operations at Tennessee Bun Company, once said, “Before finishing a disciplinary session, I ask for a commitment from the employee. The employee must buy into the change needed to improve performance.”
Next steps
Observe the employee’s performance for the next 30 days. If improvements occur, acknowledge them and reinforce the new behaviors. If improvements do not happen, move to the next step in the disciplinary process.
On rare occasions, you will have to terminate an employee. Review your case with your boss and human resources before moving forward.
When terminating an employee, it should be a brief meeting.
Unfortunately, your overall performance continues to be below expectations. Effective today (date), you are being terminated. I wish you well in finding a position and organization that aligns with your interests and goals. Please report to the conference room, where our human resource representative will review several items.
A poor performer in your organization might thrive at another company. Set them free to find a job that fits their values and lifestyle.
Most employees will respond to your coaching and feedback. Unfortunately, a few may not. If a person’s performance continues to be unsatisfactory, you must take disciplinary action. It may not be enjoyable, but it is necessary.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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