Performance Management

There are many reasons why individuals do not perform and one of the key reasons can be how they are led. This makes dealing with the issue difficult for the person’s direct manager/leader. Getting the balance of ‘firm, fair, and targeted’ can be made easier with external coaching for either the leader or the staff member concerned. This should be considered before the situation becomes serious but prevention is always better than a cure. If you make the effort to stay in touch with staff, keep them informed, and listen to their feedback, then the likelihood of the situation escalating can be avoided.


The first step in managing a performance issue is to correctly diagnose the situation. This sounds simple, but it is often not the presenting issue, but the issues that sit behind that, which hold the key to improvement. The possibilities are endless but can include anything from a negative attitude, insufficient training and support, personal conflict, a poor recruitment decision, the wrong personality for the type of work, insufficient leadership, past ‘baggage’ etc. Many managers focus on the presenting problem and fail to look into the real reasons for poor performance – thus missing the real issue standing in the way of positive success.


After diagnosis, it is important to act quickly. Sometimes it can be as simple as reframing how the person sees the issue and the part they play in it, or, it may be more complex; involving dissatisfaction with career/life issues. These topics can make conversations stilted at best and a complete waste of time if there is not good rapport between the staff member and the manager.


Lois has a background in Human Resource Management and has many years experience in dealing with performance management. Coaching sessions are a particularly useful tool for performance issues because they are specific to the person and therefore more useful than general training sessions or conferences.