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Article Check - Problem Solving / Corrective Action
Years ago the phrase was coined, "The customer is always right." But this is not always a true statement, and keeping extremely demanding or troublesome customers may be biting into your profits. When you first started your cleaning business you were no doubt eager to get any paying customer you could get to sign on. But do you have customers whose phone calls you don't want to answer? Or are there cleaning clients on your list that are low profit, yet demanding and take up a lot of your time? Trimming these customers off your list will allow you to spend more time on building up relationships with higher profit margin accounts.Just running a business is tough and stressful. If you have cleaning customers who are never happy, are always complaining, expect you or your employees to do something illegal or unethical, or are just more trouble than they are worth; then it may be time to tell these clients to look for a
b) The department or team (i.e., “our coverage numbers suffer”)
c) You (i.e., “I have to take time to conduct meetings like this when I could be coaching or doing other management activities.”)
d) The employee (i.e., “Your chances for growth or even continued employment may be jeopardized.”)
3. Make sure that you ask if the person understands the problem and the impact of the problem. Look for a verbal or non-verbal agreement. Getting agreement that there is a problem and that the problem has significant impact is half the battle!
4. Create solutions that are acceptable to you. It is better to ask for involvement and ideas from the employee at this stage since doing so increases the likelihood that they will implement the solution. However, the solution must meet YOUR requirements and standards! You may also find that the employee is not willing or able to come up with solutions. For these reasons, it is important that yo
Whenever I can, I try to frequent locally owned and operated businesses. To be even more specific, non-franchised businesses. You're now asking "why?" Before I get into that, I will say that I believe that chains, franchises and large corporate owned businesses have their place in our consumerist society. However, how did most all of the big companies start? That's right. They started as small, locally owned and operated businesses.If the big businesses (a most typically we're talking about eating establishments) started out as local places, then what's the problem with frequenting them? There is no problem per se; it's more about supporting local business owners while at the same time ensuring we have a continual stream of new choices. Additionally, when you're traveling, it's a great idea to find the best local spots.I know that going to a chain or franchise can be comforting. You know what you're
This article introduces the problem-solving model as a technique for managing performance issues that are more controversial, or that are not effectively addressed through coaching or feedback. Issues such as tardiness, being out of uniform, continual poor performance, and others are best handled by a direct, objective approach. By following the Problem Solving Dialogue Model taught in this article, you can feel confident in addressing these thorny issues with employees.
Problem solving sounds so simple. However, we know it isn’t as simple as it seems. Employees don’t behave as we hope they would. Problem solving conversations are the ones we all tend to — or want to — avoid. Why? Because we fear — or are concerned about — how the employees may react. In a minute we will find ways to overcome these challenging situations.
What you must remember is that it is important NOT to avoid these conversations as a result of feeling uncomfortable about having them. If you were the coach of a baseball team, you would want your players to give it their all. What they should be able to expect of you in return, is that other players on the team are performing as they need to. Why should the shortstop play his heart out if you let the pitcher or first baseman not play at the same level?
Key Points
Guiding questions are a significant tool when in a problem solving dialogue. Regardless of the emotional response of the employee, we must always focus on the problem behavior not the problem employee. It is not personal.
Two key things to keep in mind are:
• Always treat the employee with professionalism, dignity, and respect.
• You are responsible for the performance of your entire team. If you let the lack of performance of any one person go unaddressed because you are uncomfortable dealing with it, you are being unfair to everyone else on the team. As a result, you would not be fulfilling your job responsibilities as a team leader. It is your responsibility to address any individual issues that are affecting the team’s performance or morale.
The Problem Solving Model
It is valuable to allow the employee to solve as much of the problem as possible. The more employees can solve their own problems, the more likely they are to carry through with the solution, AND the more independent they become. In problem solving, the chances are fairly likely that the person will not be able to solve the problem without help from you. It is important that you recognize the performance problem and the reasons for the problem.
It is also important that you plan solutions to the problem’s resolution before you meet with the individual. If the employee engages in inappropriate problem solving — blaming, excusing, defending, looking to others for the solution — you need to be able to redirect the problem solving to a more productive vein. You may find that you have to TELL the employee what the acceptable solution is. Thoughtful planning and practice increase the chance of success as you manage performance.
1. Open the conversation/clarify the purpose of the conversation. It is important to focus the problem solving conversation early. It you want to discuss other things, save them for another conversation. Mixing other topics into a problem solving/corrective action conversation diffuses the impact of the conversation and reduces the likelihood of performance change.
Be up front and specific. “I want to discuss the missed deadline.” “I want to talk about your production numbers.” At the same time, express your confidence that we together can resolve this problem.
2. Clarify the problem. This is where you clearly define the problem. Use specific outcomes or observable behaviors. Avoid absolutes, generalizations, hearsay, or opinions. Be specific. Instead of saying, “you’re always late,” say, “you were at least 10 minutes late three times last week.”
Further clarify the problem by identifying the impact of the person’s behavior on:
a) The group (i.e., “others have to cover for you when you’re not on time.”)
b) The department or team (i.e., “our coverage numbers suffer”)
c) You (i.e., “I have to take time to conduct meetings like this when I could be coaching or doing other management activities.”)
d) The employee (i.e., “Your chances for growth or even continued employment may be jeopardized.”)
3. Make sure that you ask if the person understands the problem and the impact of the problem. Look for a verbal or non-verbal agreement. Getting agreement that there is a problem and that the problem has significant impact is half the battle!
4. Create solutions that are acceptable to you. It is better to ask for involvement and ideas from the employee at this stage since doing so increases the likelihood that they will implement the solution. However, the solution must meet YOUR requirements and standards! You may also find that the employee is not willing or able to come up with solutions. For these reasons, it is important that you
Event Planning, the basic elements demystifiedIt seems no matter the type of work you do or even the type of life you live there always seems to be a need to understand the basic elements of event planning. Whether it’s planning a company Holiday Event, or Staff BBQ, or even your child’s birthday party understanding the basic steps to pulling together a smooth running event can make things just a little bit easier. So with that in mind, let’s explore some of the basic elements to any event.Begin with the End in MindSo you have your event to plan, whether it’s for 4 people or 600 people, the initial element in planning an event is the same. Decide how you want to event to roll out. Will it be a casual event or something more formal, yes that dinner party with your neighbours can have a more formal feel if you wish. Some key elements in determine how you want your event, the tim
Key Points
Guiding questions are a significant tool when in a problem solving dialogue. Regardless of the emotional response of the employee, we must always focus on the problem behavior not the problem employee. It is not personal.
Two key things to keep in mind are:
• Always treat the employee with professionalism, dignity, and respect.
• You are responsible for the performance of your entire team. If you let the lack of performance of any one person go unaddressed because you are uncomfortable dealing with it, you are being unfair to everyone else on the team. As a result, you would not be fulfilling your job responsibilities as a team leader. It is your responsibility to address any individual issues that are affecting the team’s performance or morale.
The Problem Solving Model
It is valuable to allow the employee to solve as much of the problem as possible. The more employees can solve their own problems, the more likely they are to carry through with the solution, AND the more independent they become. In problem solving, the chances are fairly likely that the person will not be able to solve the problem without help from you. It is important that you recognize the performance problem and the reasons for the problem.
It is also important that you plan solutions to the problem’s resolution before you meet with the individual. If the employee engages in inappropriate problem solving — blaming, excusing, defending, looking to others for the solution — you need to be able to redirect the problem solving to a more productive vein. You may find that you have to TELL the employee what the acceptable solution is. Thoughtful planning and practice increase the chance of success as you manage performance.
1. Open the conversation/clarify the purpose of the conversation. It is important to focus the problem solving conversation early. It you want to discuss other things, save them for another conversation. Mixing other topics into a problem solving/corrective action conversation diffuses the impact of the conversation and reduces the likelihood of performance change.
Be up front and specific. “I want to discuss the missed deadline.” “I want to talk about your production numbers.” At the same time, express your confidence that we together can resolve this problem.
2. Clarify the problem. This is where you clearly define the problem. Use specific outcomes or observable behaviors. Avoid absolutes, generalizations, hearsay, or opinions. Be specific. Instead of saying, “you’re always late,” say, “you were at least 10 minutes late three times last week.”
Further clarify the problem by identifying the impact of the person’s behavior on:
a) The group (i.e., “others have to cover for you when you’re not on time.”)
b) The department or team (i.e., “our coverage numbers suffer”)
c) You (i.e., “I have to take time to conduct meetings like this when I could be coaching or doing other management activities.”)
d) The employee (i.e., “Your chances for growth or even continued employment may be jeopardized.”)
3. Make sure that you ask if the person understands the problem and the impact of the problem. Look for a verbal or non-verbal agreement. Getting agreement that there is a problem and that the problem has significant impact is half the battle!
4. Create solutions that are acceptable to you. It is better to ask for involvement and ideas from the employee at this stage since doing so increases the likelihood that they will implement the solution. However, the solution must meet YOUR requirements and standards! You may also find that the employee is not willing or able to come up with solutions. For these reasons, it is important that yo
When talking to professional builders and renovators I often ask what are the main advantages that separates them from their competition. I'll often hear the same answers: "personal service", "keeping in touch with clients" and "quality work", to list a few.This, however, is one of the biggest reasons builders and renovators "can't find good quality leads" or have to compete on price with lower-quality competition. These phrases actually don't differentiate you from your competition (professionally or otherwise) but, rather, merely state what anyone would expect of you (or your competition). In fact, you're simply saying what you competition would also say -- not much of a 'competitive advantage', these phrases, are they?In fact, how many times have you found yourself 'advertising' yourself (either in person, or via pamphlets, flyers and the like) and not taking the opportunity to differentia
The Problem Solving Model
It is valuable to allow the employee to solve as much of the problem as possible. The more employees can solve their own problems, the more likely they are to carry through with the solution, AND the more independent they become. In problem solving, the chances are fairly likely that the person will not be able to solve the problem without help from you. It is important that you recognize the performance problem and the reasons for the problem.
It is also important that you plan solutions to the problem’s resolution before you meet with the individual. If the employee engages in inappropriate problem solving — blaming, excusing, defending, looking to others for the solution — you need to be able to redirect the problem solving to a more productive vein. You may find that you have to TELL the employee what the acceptable solution is. Thoughtful planning and practice increase the chance of success as you manage performance.
1. Open the conversation/clarify the purpose of the conversation. It is important to focus the problem solving conversation early. It you want to discuss other things, save them for another conversation. Mixing other topics into a problem solving/corrective action conversation diffuses the impact of the conversation and reduces the likelihood of performance change.
Be up front and specific. “I want to discuss the missed deadline.” “I want to talk about your production numbers.” At the same time, express your confidence that we together can resolve this problem.
2. Clarify the problem. This is where you clearly define the problem. Use specific outcomes or observable behaviors. Avoid absolutes, generalizations, hearsay, or opinions. Be specific. Instead of saying, “you’re always late,” say, “you were at least 10 minutes late three times last week.”
Further clarify the problem by identifying the impact of the person’s behavior on:
a) The group (i.e., “others have to cover for you when you’re not on time.”)
b) The department or team (i.e., “our coverage numbers suffer”)
c) You (i.e., “I have to take time to conduct meetings like this when I could be coaching or doing other management activities.”)
d) The employee (i.e., “Your chances for growth or even continued employment may be jeopardized.”)
3. Make sure that you ask if the person understands the problem and the impact of the problem. Look for a verbal or non-verbal agreement. Getting agreement that there is a problem and that the problem has significant impact is half the battle!
4. Create solutions that are acceptable to you. It is better to ask for involvement and ideas from the employee at this stage since doing so increases the likelihood that they will implement the solution. However, the solution must meet YOUR requirements and standards! You may also find that the employee is not willing or able to come up with solutions. For these reasons, it is important that yo
An extranet is a web-based tool that provides a secure environment for the organization and exchange of documents and information among a defined group of users.Extranets are often used to support team collaboration in circumstances where the team members are geographically dispersed or are drawn from variety external organizations. Examples include a group of departments within a company that collaborate on a common project, or service companies that collaborate with a variety of outside clients, customers and partners.Access to the extranet requires a valid password with username. The permissions given to your unique username by the network administrator determines which part of the extranet you can have access to. Thus, an extranet allows you to share important documents, exchange information and conduct online collaborations in a secure environment, free from spam and un-authorized access.Spam-Free
1. Open the conversation/clarify the purpose of the conversation. It is important to focus the problem solving conversation early. It you want to discuss other things, save them for another conversation. Mixing other topics into a problem solving/corrective action conversation diffuses the impact of the conversation and reduces the likelihood of performance change.
Be up front and specific. “I want to discuss the missed deadline.” “I want to talk about your production numbers.” At the same time, express your confidence that we together can resolve this problem.
2. Clarify the problem. This is where you clearly define the problem. Use specific outcomes or observable behaviors. Avoid absolutes, generalizations, hearsay, or opinions. Be specific. Instead of saying, “you’re always late,” say, “you were at least 10 minutes late three times last week.”
Further clarify the problem by identifying the impact of the person’s behavior on:
a) The group (i.e., “others have to cover for you when you’re not on time.”)
b) The department or team (i.e., “our coverage numbers suffer”)
c) You (i.e., “I have to take time to conduct meetings like this when I could be coaching or doing other management activities.”)
d) The employee (i.e., “Your chances for growth or even continued employment may be jeopardized.”)
3. Make sure that you ask if the person understands the problem and the impact of the problem. Look for a verbal or non-verbal agreement. Getting agreement that there is a problem and that the problem has significant impact is half the battle!
4. Create solutions that are acceptable to you. It is better to ask for involvement and ideas from the employee at this stage since doing so increases the likelihood that they will implement the solution. However, the solution must meet YOUR requirements and standards! You may also find that the employee is not willing or able to come up with solutions. For these reasons, it is important that yo
AuctionTip #1: Howto Put an Atractive Background in Your OnlineAuction AdPage 1 of 9AuctionTip #1: How to Put an Attractive Background in Your Online Auction AdHave you ever visited an auction and noticed a peculiar and catchy background?Here's how to do it. First of, go background texture hunting at this site: http:/www.grsites.com/textures/ Once you find one- upload it to a free image host like: htp:/www.honesty.comNow, for the moment you're been waiting for. This requires HTML so don't faint on me. Make sure this is the first thing that appears in your ad html:That's the code you'l need.AuctionTip #2: The BEST Types of Products to SellWithout a doubt, there are a few types of products you'll need to sel in order to become realy successful on eBay…Here are the 3 types of products you should try to
b) The department or team (i.e., “our coverage numbers suffer”)
c) You (i.e., “I have to take time to conduct meetings like this when I could be coaching or doing other management activities.”)
d) The employee (i.e., “Your chances for growth or even continued employment may be jeopardized.”)
3. Make sure that you ask if the person understands the problem and the impact of the problem. Look for a verbal or non-verbal agreement. Getting agreement that there is a problem and that the problem has significant impact is half the battle!
4. Create solutions that are acceptable to you. It is better to ask for involvement and ideas from the employee at this stage since doing so increases the likelihood that they will implement the solution. However, the solution must meet YOUR requirements and standards! You may also find that the employee is not willing or able to come up with solutions. For these reasons, it is important that you have several solutions in mind before the meeting.
Solutions must include:
a) Specific steps: what will the employee do to correct or alleviate the problem.
b) Timeframe: corrective action discussions need to include some type of timeframe to mark the successful end of this intervention. “Okay, let’s start this tomorrow and try this for 30 days.”
c) Consequences: consequences must be clear and appropriate. Moreover, consequences must be present or behavior will very likely not change. “If you are late again within the next 30 days, I will need to issue a written warning which may lead to termination.”
d) Follow-up date and expectations: set a specific date and time to meet to review the progress and either act on the appropriate consequences or celebrate success.
5. As you and the employee are creating acceptable solutions, you will want to direct the conversation. If the employee is generating acceptable solutions, you will want to support and build on those ideas. If the employee is exhibiting inappropriate problem solving by blaming others, coming up with excuses, accusing you of being unfair, etc., defer or redirect the conversation by saying, “I would like to talk about that more later; right now, I’d like to stay focused on what you can do.” In some cases, you will simply have to tell the employee what you think the best solution is. Again, be prepared!
6. At the conclusion of the meeting, summarize the solution and express confidence in the employee to implement the solution. Then document the meeting and follow up accordingly.
Summary
We, as managers, supervisors, and team leaders, realize that it is our responsibility to ensure that EVERYONE on the team performs to their potential — and to the expectations of the job. Poor performers not only affect themselves and their specific jobs, their effect negatively impacts the performance of other team members.
While it is challenging, conducting an effective problem-solving meeting is made easier when applying the Problem Solving Dialogue Model.
(This information comes from Coaching for Performance, a module in Entelechy’s High Performance Management program. Check out this module as well as our 40 other modules, training tools, and eGuides at www.unlockit.com.)
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