Can you put the spring back into non-performer’s steps? (Part 1)

by | Oct 22, 2016 | Achieve Goals, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Ethics at Work, Leadership, Negotiation, Relationships (Self and Others), Stress Management, Time Management

Can you put the spring back into non-performer’s steps?

Yes, you can! One of the biggest challenges we all face when putting an employee on performance management is preventing them from becoming demotivated. The idea behind performance management is to help employees ‘pull up their socks’ and put a spring back in their step but very often, the opposite happens. And if not handled correctly, performance can actually get worse and demotivated employees are likely to spread their negativity and low morale around and affect other members of your team.

In fact, this cycle of demotivation can be something that happens in our personal lives too. In cases where we are trying to resolve conflicts with our loved ones, help our children perform better at school, help a friend who is struggling with motivation, improve our performance in an exam (the list goes on and on)… we can also take steps to put a spring back in their or our step.

Over the next five weeks, we are going to take the word ‘PRIDE’ to turn our demotivation into motivation. This week we will start with the letter ‘P’ and use it to guide us to

Put the spring back in a non-performers step

  1. P = Positive environment. It is well known that people work better, are more creative and achieve more when they are happy and in a positive environment. Often, when people are not performing their best, they are dealing with compounding issues and feel bad enough without working in a tense environment where they are scared to make a mistake. You need to let go of the past and help people make a new and brighter future. Also check that their aren’t other negative influences preventing people from succeeding. In a nutshell, make sure the environment is safe and free from threats and lighten up.
  2. How can you do this? Make sure that you are not micromanaging, being negative, excessively critical, demeaning, holding a grudge or behaving poorly towards your employees. Ensure you handle any discussion about performance in private rather than public. Ensure that you ‘tackle’ the behaviour and never attack the person. Make time to talk to people and assess how they are doing. Remind yourself of a time when you were behaving like a 2 out of 10 and that it was then that you most needed someone who cared to treat you like a 10 out of 10. So, treat people like the 10 they can become, and have faith in them and…

“be the difference that makes the difference

To learn how to overcome difficult times, set objectives, move your life forward and create the life you deserve, contact Tiffany and book one of our public workshops.

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Namaste,

 

NOTE: The information in my blog may be freely shared and re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line: This was written by Dr Sharon King Gabrielides, and originally appeared in her free bi-weekly  ‘Key Steps Food for Thought Blog’ available on the Key Steps website.

Dr Sharon King Gabrielides, EQ Expert, Founder and CEO

Sharon is a dynamic facilitator, speaker and executive coach with over 25 years’ experience in leadership development and organisational transformation. Her PhD thesis contributed a framework for holistic and sustainable leadership development that was published by Rutgers University in the USA. She is faculty of numerous business schools and highly sought-after by leading corporates because she works hand-in-hand with them to create sustainable results and long-term success. In 2020, Sharon was inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame, which is a lifetime achievement award, recognising excellence and her contribution to the field.

Sharon is one of only three women in South Africa to hold the title of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) – the Oscar of the speaking industry. She is also a COMENSA Master Practitioner (CMP), a qualified Modern Classroom Certified Trainer (MCCT™) and an accredited Global Virtual Speaker. Sharon is also a registered Education, Training and Development Practitioner (ETDP), holds an Honours degree in Psychology and practices as an NLP master practitioner.

Most important to Sharon is that she has become known for her genuinely caring manner, practical and transformational approach, and for providing valuable tools and that allow people to take Key Steps to really… ‘be the difference that makes the difference.’