Employee Performance

T H E L I G H T
J U N E 2 0 1 8 : E M P L O Y E E
P E R F O R M A N C E
EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
To better reflect the mission of our management magazine, we’ve decided to give
it a new name. Welcome to the first edition of “The Light.” The LIGHT stands for
Lead—Inspire—Grow—Help—Train. Each edition will assist you in developing the
skills to truly become The LIGHT!
This month's edition is about employee performance- contact our office to obtain
additional information on techniques to help your team succeed.
I N T H I S I S S U E :
WINNING
|
DISCIPLINE VS.
|
EXPECTATION
|
DEVELOPMENT CONFUSION
MANAGING
COMPLAINING EMPLOYEES

Forward by Ron Keith, Training Director
In a recent Scientific American article, Dr. Amanda Baker wrote that: “Winning is about showing team members
how to think of themselves as part of a unit, deal constructively with setbacks, and value the good of the group in
the long term over personal feelings in the moment.” Winning requires collaboration, in my office I have a sign that
reads “Trust + Unity = Winning.” It clarifies for me the type of relationship I must maintain with my team in order to
win each day. As Dr. Baker points out many people place their preferences, problems and pride above the
success of the team. This produces barriers to achieving goals.
Does your team have the DNA of a winner? Below are my top 5 characteristics of winning teams:
• Process For Handling Conflict—If you want success expect a house call from conflict. Winning teams have
processes for handling adversity. They don’t allow conflict to detour, distract or diminish their focus.
• Have A Shared Vision—When teams don’t share vision, they won’t share in victory. Vision is the glue that
bonds accountability and effort. Without vision you may see small successes, but never true victories.
• Communicate With Respect—Do members respect the right of each individual to have an opinion different
from their own? Winning teams don’t allow a difference of opinion to create dislike for the individual. Winners are
also willing vessels for feedback.
• Adversity Doesn’t Eclipse Success—When trouble comes, winning teams don’t throw in the towel.
Adversity will come, but its shadow should never be seen as permanent. Winners preserver and overcome.
• Competent In Their Role—Teams win when each member masters their role, and understands their
assignment is part of a larger collective. They understand an individual win is not greater than a collective loss.

Discipline vs. Development
The discipline approach is based upon the fallacy that
people will respond progressively better when treated
progressively worse. Discipline typically produces
feelings of rejection, frustration, and humiliation. Rather
than motivating employees to become better
performers, it’s more likely to teach them that they
should merely avoid getting caught.
Development on the other hand is about refining skills,
understand expectations, solving problems, achieving
desired levels of performance, and getting results.
Development produces sustainable positive outcomes.
It positions your team to do the right thing, at the right
time, each and every time. When done correctly
development conveys to the employee that their success
is linked to the success of the team.
Discipline is an action that the person with authority
takes against employees for misbehavior.
Development is a process to help people make good
choices about working together in a safe, ethical and
productive way.
Essential to development is feedback. There are two types:
1. Reinforcing Feedback—tells you what you are doing well
and what you need to continue to do.
2. Redirecting Feedback—reveals behaviors that need to
change or areas where you need more development.
Each type has its place in a development conversation, but Reinforcing Feedback is almost always more
readily and accurately received by the recipient. Redirecting Feedback, by contrast, often meets
resistance. It is more likely to be accepted under these very specific conditions:
It comes from a credible source
It’s objective rather than subjective
It’s supported by hard data and specific examples
It concerns behaviors that are controllable by the recipient
• It is descriptive rather than judgment
• It focuses on impact rather than intent
• It is specific rather than vague
• It’s job related

Leadership
vision,
is when your
The highest levels of
performance come to
people who are centered,
behaviors
and intuitive, creative, and
reflective - people who
synchronize
know to see a problem as
to inspire an opportunity."
others to unite.
- Deepak Chopra

Expectation Confusion
Having clarity on expectations is
essential to aligning behaviors to
performance standards. When deciding
on how to address performance
issues, be sure the following
conditions are in place by asking
yourself these questions:
1. Did the employee clearly understand the rule or policy that was violated?
Were the rules or policy provided to the employee prior to the violation? It is management’s responsibility to ensur
the employee knows the rules or policies.
2. Was the rule or policy consistently and fairly enforced by management?
Does management have a history of ignoring or being selective in following policy? You can’t hold someone
accountable to inconsistency.
3. Did you consider the previous good (or bad) work record of the employee?
One mistake should not define an employee’s net worth. Kobe Bryant missed more shots than any other player in
NBA history; yet he is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game.
4. Did the employee know that violating the rule or policy could lead to a performance problem?
Seems almost obvious, but when consequences are unknown, behavior is unpredictable.
Managing Complaining Employees
Here are a few tips on how to manage and communicate with complainers.
Listen: Listening shows you value the individual. Clarify the complaining isn’t
frustration or venting. Listen for why they are complaining vs. what they are
complaining about.
Defuse: Put out the fire. Don’t allow complaining to turn into anger. Take contr
of the situation, and demand professionalism.
Avoid Judgmental Feedback: Harsh feedback can be an obstruction to future
communication. A key to having a successful team is maintaining free and open
dialogue.
Redirect: Challenge them to solve the problem. Direct them out of emotion and
into resolution. Help them to focus on the aspects they have control over.
Discuss What’s Right: Hear the complaint, but then ask the individual to
discuss what’s going right. When the focus is on the 5% bad people forget abou
the 95% good.

Coach's Corner
Further Reading available through
the GSC Training Department!
Our book of the month is Thank God It’s Monday: How to Create a Workplace You
and Your Customers Love. In this book, Cathy Proviano and the HRDQ Development
Team provide valuable insight for jump-starting positive change from anywhere in your
department. To be successful, you need to have a workplace that people enjoy,
including your customers. Request your copy from the Training Department today.

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What is the best way you've
found to improve Employee
Performance on your team?
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FEEDBACK!
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