Turning Around A Marginal Worker

This is the third time in as many weeks that Bill has turned in a substandard report. It's an integral part of Bill's job, and he just can't seem to do it right. So, as Bill's manager, what should you do?

It's a scenario that all managers have to face at one time or another - how do you deal with a poorly performing employee?

Tom Schaber is a management consultant; author of "The Road Warrior's Guide to Sales Management - Taking the Stress out of Managing Salespeople;" and speaker for HPSS Global. He recommends a three-step process when adjusting employee performance:

1.Talk to the employee and then look

for a change.

2.Put the employee on probation if there is no change.

3.Terminate the employee if probation isn't working.

"If they change during probation, then that's great," says Schaber. "If not, they're no longer with the company."

Develop A Plan

Scott Gunderson, professor and co-chair of business at Dakota County Technical College, says a plan must be created that is clear and measurable.

"Confront the employee and then work out a plan," says Gunderson.

With a plan in place, the manager must work with the employee.

"Continue to support them," adds Gunderson.

It's better to work out problems than just get rid of the employee.

"Somebody thought they were worth hiring, so you have to try to make it work," says Schaber. "The organization may have failed or the manager may have failed. You have to figure out how to make them happier."

Your Stake

Sometimes the manager has to give, too. Maybe the employee needs more training hours to achieve his or her goal.

"It's not all on the employee's shoulders," says Gunderson.

Gunderson also advises using caution before making any bold moves.

"The workplace now is different than it was 20 years ago," he says. "There are diverse ages and diverse cultures out there. You don't want to aggravate the issue."

If the final straw is to terminate the employee, fall back on your plan and documentation of missed goals.

If it comes down to termination, show the employee the plan, what hasn't been done and make it clear that you need to part ways.

"You don't need to drag it into a long discussion," says Gunderson.

But try to avoid termination. Managers must make a personal connection with their employees for success.

"The better your connection, the better your chance for change," says Schaber.

"It's important to know your employees," says Gunderson. "If there's a problem, then it becomes a personal issue. It's harder for people to let a person down than to let a company down."

Robert Elsenpeter is a freelance writer from Blaine.