1.
Managing Poor Performance & Capability

2.
In order for a business to be successful, poor performance
must be managed effectively. It is an essential
management skill & yet for many managers it can be
one of the most stressful and difficult parts of their job.
Ensuring you have a clear & well thought through
process for managing poor performance is therefore vital;
firstly to help managers perform well in the process &
secondly to give your staff & therefore your business
the best chance of being successful.

3.
When poor performance occurs…

4.
When an employee displays poor performance, letting it go
can create all manner of issues within the team & also
effectively condone the performance level.
This first response needs to be measured &
exploratory in nature.
What is causing the performance level?
…but also very clear on the performance standards required.
Deal with poor performance immediately

5.
Sometimes poor performance has surprising causes.
The best result in management of poor performance, is
that you can help & support the team member to
achieve the required levels of performance.
Don’t pre-judge the situation
Use evidence & facts to state the reasons why
you believe there to be a performance issue –
don’t let hearsay & opinion cloud the issue.
Be specific

6.
Poor performance can be frustrating or even upsetting,
but addressing it while angry will not help.
You still need to deal with it in a timely manner, but only
once you have controlled your emotions.
Be calm
Whatever the cause of the performance issue, the best
result for business & staff member is that the
performance improves. Managers need to provide their
staff with the help & support they need to achieve this.
This could be because the cause is not the employee’s
fault or because they have an issue that is affecting their
performance.
Offer support

7.
Monitor performance by agreeing
objectives & timescales & help
them improve…

8.
Have an informal discussion first:
By dealing with the issue immediately, and not pre-
judging, we may be able to address an employee’s
performance without going any further.
These meetings can be used to remind staff of the
standards required & look to offer the help required to
achieve this. This method only works when you deal
with it quickly though, as otherwise the performance
can become ingrained & difficult to deal with.
Follow a clear process

9.
The key goal for this informal meeting is to set the
employee on the path to improved performance.
The best way to begin this is to get their view on the
performance. Many employees know when they are not
performing & want help addressing it.
Then, ask them to suggest a way forward because if they
do know they aren’t performing, then they might well
know a good way of addressing it.
Follow a clear process

10.
Once the solution & plan has been agreed, continue to
follow up on the informal meeting, & make sure if you
see performance improvements, that you take the time
to notice that with the employee.
If the informal meeting & follow up does not bring an
improvement then, you will need start a formal process.
Follow a clear process

11.
Formal performance/capability meeting
Tips for conducting a successful meeting:
 Plan: Write down the key issues with specifics, list the
problems the performance creates, describe the action
that will need to be taken, set out then resources that
will be made available to help the performance.
 Private: Remove distractions & ensure that the
meeting is held in a quiet place and it is clear you
should not be interrupted.
 Involve the employee: Get them to describe their
thoughts & ways they can improve.
 Don’t sugercoat: Be clear on the negative impact of the
performance level.
 Describe what will happen next: Clearly & in detail.

12.
 Give 48 hours notice of a performance review meeting
and ensure that the arrangements are handled
professionally.
 Be accompanied by an HR representative or colleague.
 Consider the facts from the meeting and decide on a
course of action or warning.
For the meeting you should

13.
 The precise nature of performance issues.
 The level of improvement required including timescales.
 How they will be supported to achieve this performance
improvement.
 The consequences of not achieving the standards.
If you have issued formal warnings or notification of dismissal at the
meeting you will need to comply with legal obligations surrounding how
long the warning will be on record, consequences of continued failure to
achieve standards, reasons for dismissal & rights of appeal.
After the meeting, inform the employee of:

14.
This will help formally identify unsatisfactory levels of
performance & agree on further training, coaching or other
support. The performance improvement plan should:
 Identify precise & measurable performance targets.
 Diarise key follow up points & progress tracking times.
 Specify any required training.
 Identify the results if the Performance Improvement
Plan is successfully completed.
 Incorporate employee suggestions into the plan.
 Give enough time for the employee to improve!
Implement a Performance Improvement Plan:

15.
Once the agreed timescale for the Performance
Improvement plan has been completed a formal meeting
should take place to assess the success. This will either
result in the end of the process as the employee has
achieved the improvements required, or another
Improvement Plan will need to be implemented.
Two or three review meetings is considered fair process
before further action/the decision to dismiss is taken.
Hold follow-up meetings

16.
For more information on the leadership
courses that we run at Pathway Group
Call: 0121 707 0550
E-mail: info@pathwaygroup.co.uk
For more business advice visit: www.Pathway2grow.co.uk/blog