Is it poor performance or a personal problem?

What’s your strategy for talking with employees about poor performance? 

Your Rant: I’ve got an employee who is performing very poorly. I’ve talked to him, but I have no idea what is going on.

911 Repair:

My undergraduate degree is in Occupational Therapy and I’ve worked in a number of psychiatric hospitals along the way. I wish I had a dollar for every gibberish filled tirade I’ve heard from patients. That is until my dad was in a serious accident and I sat by his bedside. To the nursing staff, he probably sounded like he was spouting gibberish. But for me, most of his references made sense.

Many of your employees are like that. What might appear to be gibberish or random behavior often has meaning, but only if you know what’s really going on. I’ve included some questions below to help you dig beneath the surface. For more, check out Cuppon and Capozzoli’s book “Supervisor Savvy” (JIST, 2000).

Is it related to a personal or family health problem? Anyone who has ever had a serious medical condition, or watched a close family member go through one, knows how hard it can be to focus during this time. That’s why it’s important to give the employee the chance to tell you what could be causing the sudden decline in their performance. But this isn’t the only thing that might be going on. Other possibilities include:

Is it a drug or alcohol problem? Using drugs and alcohol to excess is much more common than many of us realize. But if you suspect this may be an influence on what’s happening, don’t take matters into your own hands. There are professionals out there who are much more experienced at dealing with people under the influence. Check with your company’s employee assistance program or talk to a counselor experienced in drug and alcohol rehab.

Is it an emotional or mental health problem? I wrote a column on mental health problems at work and was amazed at how many people wrote in to describe their mental health challenges. Like drugs and alcohol, it’s easy for many of us without experience dealing with it to overlook it as a source of problems. Again, get help from trained professionals.

Is it based on economic problems they’re facing? Many of us are overextended today with our finances. It’s tough to maintain your focus when you are fighting off creditors or moonlighting. Appreciating this challenge and making credit-counseling services available can help.

Is the person just a bad fit for you, the job or the organization? In sports they talk about how a player performs better when they’ve had a “change of scenery.” Sometimes it’s no different at work, new surroundings can help get someone back on track.

There is a big difference between gently probing your employee and getting professional help versus leaping to conclusions and trying to handle it all on your own. Follow these tips and you’ll be making sense of what’s really going on with your people.

User strategy:

Here’s one great strategy for dealing with a personal problem at work from L.K. in Boston, Mass.: “I think that the key is to care about what is happening with an employee. Most companies I’ve worked for don’t. They just don’t care. If you want someone to give their heart and soul to the company, you’ve got to give them a reason to. Too many companies are a one-way street, they ask you to give, but they give nothing in return.”

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.

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