This is a presentation from ProductTank Warsaw meetup from October 2019. Slides by courtesy of Lucjan Samulowski - Co-founder of DocPlanner.com

1. 1
09.10.2019
Presentation: Lucjan Samulowski @ DocPlanner

2. Goal of managers @ DocPlanner
- inspire people
to achieve goals
to be happy.

3. Difficult Performance Conversations
How to quickly handle poor performance. Or put top back on track.

4. quality of code
contribution in meetings
results
personal goals
high self-standards
wants to be the best
visible things (symptoms)
invisible things (reasons)

5. The steps
before
Step 1: Analyze the situation
Step 2: Prepare your pitch
during
Step 3: Deliver your pitch
Step 4: Feedback to feedback
Step 5: Agree clear goals

6. conver
sation
prepa-
ration
worrying &
avoiding

7. Cost of avoiding or delaying the conversation
● To you
● To the person
● To other managers
● To the company

8. Step 1: Analyze the situation
Visible things (numbers, facts, feedback)
Invisible things (your best guess)

9. Step 2: Prepare your pitch
1. Write down the problem in one sentence (your opening line).
2. List your main 1 or 2 messages.
3. Think about how you expect the person to react.
4. Write down your desired outcome of the meeting.

10. Step 3: Deliver your pitch
1. Get straight to the point.
2. Even if it’s emotional - deliver the content that you prepared.

11. Step 4: Feedback to feedback
1. Shut Down: “shock” – almost no conversation
2. Avoiding through agreement: wants to end the meeting fast
3. Defensive: debates the feedback, can become aggressive
4. Emotional: crying, unable to discuss rationally
5. Rejecting: does not accept responsibility, blames others or
circumstances

12. Step 5: Agree clear goals

13. Summarise in an email.

14. The most effective performance
conversations improve the
invisible things.

15. The commander’s intent.

16. It’s easier to improve three small
specific things than a big generic one.

17. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Strength of the message.

18. Ask for feedback.

20. Thank you :)