It’s not unusual for managers to get the order of things wrong when dealing with employee performance issues. In their haste to create a sense of urgency, many will go directly to a verbal or written warning when expectations are not being met. Continued failure to perform at the needed level then leads to increasingly more severe discipline such as time off without pay or a suspension. Those with some awareness of disciplinary measures may ultimately implement a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) as a last resort before termination.
The above scenario is all too common, and the steps taken are not in the correct sequence. To help remedy this wrong, let’s go through the appropriate steps in establishing expectations for your employees, training them, coaching them when behaviors or performance are not acceptable, and moving to a disciplinary process as the final step when performance continues to fall short.