Presentation at Brick and Click 2009 and NYLA 2010

1. How to be the Bad Guy without Being
Bad: Strategies for Getting Your Staff
Back on Track
Mary Carmen Chimato
Assistant Dean, University Library
University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA

2. Discussion Points:
 Who am I & why am I qualified to talk about this?
 The effect of poor performance on an
organization
 The three types of performance issues
 Why punishment does not work
 Performance improvement discussions
 Solving performance, attendance and attitude
problems
 The “no-fault divorce” aka dismissal

3. Being the Assistant Dean at Pacific:
 Administrator
 UoP Library:
 30 FTE (10 librarians, 20 staff)
 Access & Delivery Services Division:
Circulation, Tech Services, IT
16 FTE, 10-15 student employees
 Serving 6,700 students, 9 colleges, 3 campuses

4. Access & Delivery Services Department, NCSU Libraries

5. Poor Performance Can Eat Away at an Organization…
…rendering it unproductive, slow-moving, low-achieving and
ultimately ineffective.

6. Basic Responsibility as a Manager:
Development of productive and well disciplined individuals

8. Three Types of Personnel Problems
 Performance
 Attendance
 Behavior/Conduct

9. Punishment FAIL!
 Uncertainty
 Inconsistent
 Long-term disaster

10. Performance Improvement Discussions
 Know your organization’s process
 Serious and planned discussion
 Specific goals
 Structured

11. Prepping for a Performance Improvement
Discussion
1. Identify the specific difference between the actual and
the desired performance.
2. Analyze the impact of the problem: Why it needs to be
solved?
3. Identify the consequences the employee will face if
change does not happen.
4. Determine the appropriate action plan.

12. Actual versus Desired Performance
Which type of problem is it?
If there are multiple problems, limit the discussion to the highest
priority issue.
Be specific about the issue
Effectively describe what you want versus what you are actually
getting from the person’s performance.
What is the desired performance? (What do I want?)
What is the actual performance? (What do I get?)

13. Why the Problem Must be Solved
What is the goal of this meeting?
To get the employee to agree to change.
Avoids the rollercoaster of employee performance.
Gaining Agreement:
Offer the good business reasons for why there needs to be change.
List the problem’s effects.

14. Determining Consequences
Generate a consequence list
Tool to help the manager feel more confident while having the
discussion.
Disciplinary action, but what else?
Logical consequences of actions:
Having an office or cube moved
Change in supervision
Change in workflow

15. Determining the Course of Action
The first 3 steps inform course of action.
Disciplinary action versus performance discussion

16. Five Questions to Assist in Choosing a Path
1. Did the employee understand the rule or policy that was violated?
2. Did the employee know in advance that such conduct would be
subject to disciplinary action?
3. Was the rule violated reasonably related to the safe, efficient, and
orderly operation of the business?
4. Is there substantial evidence that the employee actually did violate
the rule?
5. Is the action planned reasonably related to the seriousness of the
offense, the employee’s record of service, and to action taken with
other employees who have committed similar offenses?
Carroll R. Daugherty, Grief Bros. Cooperage Corp,. quoted in James R. Redeker, Discipline: Policies and Procedures,
1983.

17. Conducting a Performance Discussion
Who, What, Where, When, How Long & Why?
Opening statement: put the employee at ease by getting
straight the to the point.
“There’s something that’s concerning me and I need to talk to you
about it.”
“I’m dealing with a situation that is troubling me and I need your help
to resolve it.”
Go into a specific/detailed discussion of issue.

18. Conducting a Performance Discussion
Hand the ball to the employee:
“Tell me about it.”
“What can you tell me about this?”
“Is there something I should know?”
Practice active listening
Gain agreement:
Review statement of actual versus desired performance.
Ask employee to agree.
Use logical consequences
Personal responsibility and locus of control
End on a positive expectation of change
Follow-up in writing (email or formal memo)

19. Solving Performance Problems
Two causes: lack of knowledge or lack of execution.
Deficiencies in knowledge are cured by training.
Deficiencies in execution are approached differently:
1. Clarify expectations: can they explain what is expected?
2. Remove obstacles: resources to do the work are available.
3. Provide feedback: regular, accurate and timely.
4. Arrange appropriate consequences.

20. Solving Attendance Problems
The cause of any absence is irrelevant. Only the effect
counts.
Build individual responsibility so that the employee
understands that coming to work is a condition of
employment. So is coming to work on time.
Address as you would a performance issue:
Logical consequences
Gain agreement
Personal choice
Further action

21. Three ways to make a
fundamental change in
a person’s attitude:
 psychotherapy
 religious conversion
 brain surgery
Solving Attitude Problems

22. Discussion Difficulties
The “Yeahbut” Game
The Silence Game
The “I’ll Try” Game
The Irrelevancy Game

23. The “No Fault Divorce” aka Dismissal
Have a plan:
Everything that needs to be done before the dismissal meeting.
The face to face meeting.
Everything that will happen after the meeting.
Run it by a jury first:
Was the employee aware of their unacceptable performance?
How do you know that they knew?
Do you have any documentation?
Were they given time to improve?
Was training provided?

24. The “No Fault Divorce” aka Dismissal
Write a script:
Keep it short and to the point.
Listen to the employee’s response.
Repeat as necessary.
Anticipate questions or concerns.
Avoid misdirected compassion

25. Questions?

26. Contact Me:
mchimato@pacific.edu
marychimato@gmail.com
AIM/YIM: mcc6676
Gtalk: marychimato
Twitter: PigsInSpace
circandserve.wordpress.com
http://www.slideshare.net/mchimato/how-to-be-the-
bad-guy-without-being-bad