How to tell direct report they need to work on some things?

27 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 18,2023 at 1:24PM UTC

   She needs coaching and you need to provide it. But not as a one-off. She needs a success plan, with specific goals and timelines, ongoing feedback (positive and negative), and a clear, agreed-upon understanding of her role and the expectations for it. You both have to commit to that. Or, you can write her up and put her on notice. But that path kind of sucks for everyone.

2. Laura AlpertMarch 19,2023 at 2:09PM UTC

   Agreed! Supervisors must commit

   to supporting the success of each member of their team. And if the team

   member is unwilling or unable to meet expectations after coaching, training, and follow up, then it’s about finding them a position that would fit, accommodations, or separation.

3. AnonymousMarch 18,2023 at 1:42PM UTC

   I am currently going thru this with 2 reports that I “inherited” when I took on my current role.

   I sat down with both of the prior to reviews (and during and after as well) to lay out expectations clearly with measurable achievements going forward. My HR Business Partner and VP I work for helped me with wording so it focused on performance only and not personal observations. I used the phrase “demonstrates the ability” or “does not demonstrate the ability” a lot as we went over things.

   Both people took the conversation better than expected. One is diving into everything and taking the advice to heart. The other is still struggling and we may get to those dreaded next steps.

4. Brigette WildsMarch 18,2023 at 2:12PM UTC

   First, if you are effectively performance managing her, this feedback will not be new or shocking. If you are not providing immediate and specific feedback when she needs coaching, then start.

   Second, read Radical Candor and then follow its advice.

5. Laura AlpertMarch 19,2023 at 2:06PM UTC

   Exactly. A review or serious conversation should not involve surprises, because feedback should be clear and timely.

6. Audrey KirschMarch 18,2023 at 3:58PM UTC

   20 years experience is a valuable trait. Find a way to make them feel valued while asking if they are prepared to expand into the current role. Change is inevitable but they may be slower to adapt than others. Once you tap into their style, you’ll see improvement.

7. AnonymousMarch 18,2023 at 7:48PM UTC

   Clear is kind, according to Brene Brown, and I would wholeheartedly agree. Sugarcoating things does not help anyone.

   Be clear, direct, but respectful, and as diplomatic as possible. Use phrases like: "areas for you to strengthen are" xxxxx vs "you are slow and need to speed up".

   Remind her that on calls where she is lead, she needs to prepare in advance, be organized, and be familiar with how to manage document sharing. Ask her where she thinks she need to practice and improve and see if she seems aware. Walk her through an example of what a successful meeting would look like.

   Follow up after and give feedback right away. Do not wait until her next formal review.

8. AnonymousMarch 18,2023 at 8:54PM UTC

   Definitely call her into a meeting asap with a list of things ready in your head to discuss (examples). Take everything personal out of the discussion (don't reference her excuses). Just say: Project 1 had a deadline of Date X. You did not meet that date. How can I help you to make sure you have all of the resources you need to meet dates in future? Go down the list with the role's expectations and how her work failed to meet those, and put the onus on her to tell you what she needs to go the work on time/better/whatever. If she gets emotional or gives excuses, nod and go back to your line of talking.

9. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 4:41PM UTC

   That is not just robotic, but downright disrespectful. Management is about understanding and leading people. You can't remove the human from the equation. In addition, hollow offers of "help" while blamestorming and chastising aren't motivating or empowering. Always lead with empathy.

10. AnonymousMarch 18,2023 at 10:53PM UTC

    I don't think there's a fit any longer for her and the role she is expected to fill.

    I bet she is struggling beyond anything you know. I'm not sure asking her to be more organized is going to help. If can't reassign her or change her role and responsibilities, you might need to send her to classes and provide her with tools that might help.

11. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 12:13AM UTC

    Do you know anything about this person beyond work? Has she reported any health or family issues? (Be careful about asking directly, as they are never required by law to disclose such things, only voluntarily, and since you are her manager, it would appear she has to.)

    When I have had this situation, I would bring her in for a 1:1 before the review and have a list of recent things I have noticed about her performance. Offer her whatever help I reasonably could from the company's benefits (like EAP assistance, an extended vacation, FMLA, sabbatical, etc.). Make it clear that her review is coming up, and unless you see an improvement in these areas, she should not expect a report that is up to the standards she would likely expect.

12. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 19,2023 at 1:34AM UTC

    YOU SAID: "She often times will approach me with all different kinds of stories (she fell, tripped, has to go to several doctor appointments). "

    I'm not sure exactly what this has to do with the rest of your comment unless her falls/trips are directly impacting her ability to do her job/performance.

    How long have these issues been going on? If it's been for some time, why haven't they been addressed already? You should be scheduling regular one-on-ones with all your direct reports to check in and address any and all issues - not just right before review time.

    Have fact driven conversations, take personal feelings out of it and lay out specifically what she needs to accomplish and come up with a plan together to help her get to where you need her to be. She's not a mind reader.

13. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 12:59PM UTC

    I have been on the other side. I want to

    give tips on what might help. I also ended uP having manager change, which really didn’t matter, however one was more effective than the other.

    1. have the 1:1 with the employee. Most likely she knows she’s not contributing effectively. “I have noticed that your output has not been as crisp on time (fill whatever she’s not doing). I know you are experienced and can deliver. Im wondering if there is something about the role that is not resonating.
    2. “As you know, we are measured on results,” I really want you to exceed. If I were giving your yearly review, you would come in as 3 performer (fill in the grading that your company may have)
    3. “I would like to see (list the items). I know you can do this.
    4. ”accountability is important, let’s meet by weekly and you can update me on status).

    this isn’t micromanaging. As a leader caring for your direct reports and their career growth are important.

    send a follow up note after the meeting, summarizing what you covered.

    since you also tell the employee to be accountable and update you, you can measure how committed she is, and how is she solving problems. Lot you can figure out how she handles this.

    you’re a good leader to care enough to ask here in this forum.

14. Paulla Fetzek, MSEdMarch 19,2023 at 12:59PM UTC

    1) You mention she comes to you with "stories" of medical issues. For me, your use of the word "stories" implies you may not believe her. Also, why mention this at all? Do you think these accidents have anything to do with her performance?

    2) You said she "looks disorganized". By whose standards? Yours? The company's? At work my desk is clean and fairly organized. My boss' office looks like a tornado went through it. And yet he never has an issue finding paperwork or doing his job.

    3) You said "Some people noticing that she's not as 'on it'" Who are these people? Coworkers? Upper Management? How do these people impact your team or her job?

    Instead of telling her she needs to be prepared - how about asking her if she feels she's struggling? Those "stories" of physicality could seriously be impacting her. You could ask her if there are any tools or resources she might need that could help. Lift her up by offering understanding and support especially since you say you want her to succeed.

    This one hits for me. I'm about to start my 20th year with my company. And HOLY WOW do I have "stories" of physical issues. Twice a year I see my PCP as well as 3 specialist doctors. I've fallen/slipped so many times it's ludicrous - sustaining broken bones, torn ligament and/or tendons. I'm doing so right now! I have one bone bruised and another broken in my left foot from a slip in January. At the same time I'm still recovering from a tumble down stairs in October that wrenched my right hip/knee/ankle.

    At times I feel I'm not working "up to par". While these injuries don't impact my arms/hands (I have a desk job), they DO impact my overall well-being. It's extremely draining constantly dealing with physical issues and a heavy workload. For the most part, I manage just fine. But even I fall apart. I'm so very fortunate I have a fantastic supervisor and understanding company who support me.

15. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 1:19PM UTC

    I feel like I wrote this.

16. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 1:33PM UTC

    I too feel like I wrote this, but have a very harsh manager so I have to mask all the time.

17. Maggie StoneMarch 19,2023 at 1:24PM UTC

    So, this person has been meeting or exceeding goals in this role up til now? You mention trips, falls, doctor’s appointments and not being “on it.” Sounds like there is a mental or physical health issue that needs to be addressed…

18. Crystal HowellMarch 19,2023 at 2:03PM UTC

    Just go to lunch, make sure to clearly state "dutch", and have a heart to heart.

    Be honest gently, ask her questions, did you know when you share the screen you have multiple screens open for all to see your personal business?

    Maybe if she's older, maybe she needs to talk to someone on the employee assistance line with the trips, falls, forgetfulness? GoodLUck!

19. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 3:02PM UTC
    1. Im not sure what the “stories” have to do with the rest of your comment. It also implies you don’t believe her, why? I think you need to be sure you are approaching this appropriately, perhaps she has a medical condition she needs the appointments for but does not want to disclose. Your duty as a manager is to let her know if she needs an accommodation, these are the channels she needs to go through (consult HR for your companies policy).
    2. You state review time is coming up, irrelevant. As an a manager you need to address deficiencies year round. Don’t ambush an employee at their review.
    3. By whose standards does she look disorganized? Don’t base a performance review on subjective standards. Is she getting her job done, meeting deadlines, etc.
    4. Who is noticing she is “not on it”? Do not let other people influence their performance review, you need to use objective standards, metrics and goals here.
    5. If you can take a step back and say yes, her ability to do her job successfully is being influenced by these things and she is no longer meeting her goals and fulfilling the needs of the company then determine what changes need to be made to do those things, ensuring they are clear, measurable changes, not subjective “you need to be more organized”.
20. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 3:19PM UTC

    I am entering my 20 years as well and when I started going through menopause I was not sure what was wrong with me. Everything slowed down and I was just all over the place mentally and physically. I am sure it cost me my job as I did not know how to explain what was going on with me as well. It was not intentional. Now I am seeking a new opportunity but scared of how I will fair. Please have a one one with her as she could be in the same situation and don’t know how to manage as of yet.

21. Mary PoolMarch 19,2023 at 3:59PM UTC

    Why are you waiting until review time to bring these issues up? Reviews should never contain surprises -- not ever! You are NOT doing your job if you do not bring light to these issues when they happen. So why is she falling or has doctor's appointments? Is she ill? Is she in an abusive relationship?

    Do you just not like this person? Because I can think of no other reason to let a person flounder to this point other than wanting them to fail.

    Sound harsh – well, it is; her manager is not telling her she is not performing up to standards and blaming her for her performance failures. People do not know they are not meeting expectations if they are not told they are not meeting expectations. Especially if they have met or exceeded expectations under other managers for 20 years!

    I will ask you this: How will this poor performance review reflex on you? You have an employee who has performed well for 20 years (how do I know this? Because she holds a position of responsibility). Yet, suddenly you are saying her performance is below standards. So how are your managers going to respond to that? If she protests the review (which is likely), how will your handling of this situation reflect back on you?

22. AnonymousMarch 19,2023 at 5:57PM UTC

    This is the perfect response. I agree with Mary. As a manager/ leader, the expectation of performance is solely on you to convey, and it's an everyday, consistent event. I understand that she may have years of experience, but expectations are subjective, and it is up to you to outline them accordingly and in a timely manner.

23. Anne Marie HMarch 19,2023 at 5:18PM UTC

    Definitely have her prepare an agenda to share with you a day or 2 beforehand.

    She should indicate how many minutes she plans for each agenda point. Public speaking is OFTEN intimidating, so let your coordinator know you'll be her timekeeper, that you'll "prompt" her to move along to the next agenda item so she can finish her presentation. That's the best way to help an un-seasoned Public speaker.

    If there's any training material, i.e. if she's going to be sharing how something is done, she should prepare step by step instructions on how to accomplish such and share with you beforehand too.

    Instruct meeting participants to hold questions until the end (to ensure all agenda points are addressed/meeting isn't cut short).

    If there's more questions-vs- time to address them, the questions should be emailed to her with ALL attendees cc'ed and answered via reply-all within 2 days. Sometimes one person's question can spark another question for someone else, so it's always best to include all, and answer promptly or the time invested in meeting could lose its relative application.

24. Liz MilneMarch 19,2023 at 11:34PM UTC

    Not everyone is able to think fast - but they often think thoroughly, and while they take a while to come up with an answer, it's often a very good answer. Personally, I don't see multiple screens being open as a sign of disorganisation: it could be a sign of a) her busy-ness or b) the way she organises her work flow. Actual disorganisation is a) not having the information to hand, b) not being able to find the info reasonably quickly or at all, c) being late for meetings, d) not understanding her work/ what the meeting is about/ what she needs to bring to the table and from what you've said, she comes across as flustered rather than not organised...Does she know your expectations of her? If you assume she will automatically do things the way you would without even asking how she does them, or laying out the way you want her to work, then that's on you, sorry if that sounds harsh, it's not meant that way.You should spend some time with her, so she knows what you want and you know to manage your expectations if her experiences have been radically different to yours...

25. AnonymousMarch 20,2023 at 1:50AM UTC

    If I were you I'd be concerned about all this tripping and falling your employee reports. Do you know if she has MS? Because unexplained falls are a symptom in many people who have MS. This is how I was before I was diagnosed.

    Also, MS can cause cognitive dysfunction (otherwise known as brain fog) which can make it difficult to think clearly and stay organised. Naturally, this can lead to a loss of confidence, which is maybe why she is hesitant to speak up and it takes her longer to do her work.

    While you can't ask her outright about her medical history, unless she has told you herself, perhaps you can just express concern about her frequent falls and allow her to share, if she feels comfortable enough to do so. She could be trying to hide or in denial about her health issue, which is clearly not effective.

    I am of the opinion that a person's medical issues are their own business, but when symptoms start to affect work performance, then openness about the situation is required. Good luck!

26. Maron GearhartMarch 20,2023 at 7:13PM UTC

    Health concerns aside, I would encourage you to always provide real-time feedback and not wait for annual reviews to address issues. If you are looking for a way to tell her nicely to be more prepared, my suggestion is to say the following immediately after a meeting in which something like this happened, "Hey [name], I wanted to give you some feedback from that call. Great job making sure X, Y, and Z were on the agenda, I think we made some great decisions that will really help with the project. I noticed that you seemed to be taking a little bit of a back seat on the call and wanted to ask about that. Are you feeling unsure of the topic or wanting to give others the opportunity to chime in?" Depending on her response, ask questions to get to the bottom of it and use that as an opportunity to coach her to be successful in her role. She may just not know that she's expected to speak up more or respond quicker. If she's a coordinator on a call with higher-ups or stakeholders/contributors, she may feel as if her input isn't as important and wants to let others speak up. Your job as her boss is to make sure she knows the expectations and coach her to meet those. I like to lead by inspiring and motivating others, so in a situation like this, be sure to point out what she did right, show her that you trust her capabilities and want to help her in those where she could grow. Share tips or techniques that have helped you to gain confidence, know when to speak up in a meeting, etc. Have her sit in on other meetings where the coordinator/facilitator was on their game, guiding the discussion with prompt responses and sharing a clean screen. Check in with her in weekly one-on-ones. The worst thing to do is wait for her review to lay it all on her without giving her a chance to improve before it comes to raise time.

27. Nibor EroomMarch 26,2023 at 6:43PM UTC

    I definitely agree with and would like to emphasize…do not wait for review time! No employee should be surprised about anything in a review. Every employee should leave a review feeling good about themselves and the plan to help them be better.