The document discusses the various types of workplace problems managers face, such as interpersonal conflicts, resource constraints, and performance issues, emphasizing the importance of identifying the root causes of employee performance decline. It highlights the role of management in addressing these problems through effective communication, support, and corrective actions while documenting the process. Additionally, it underscores the significance of maintaining consistency in handling disciplinary actions to foster a constructive work environment.

1. Prepared By:
Roy B. Cabarles, LPT

2. Irrespective of the nature of the business or
the strength of the people within it, problems
will arise at some stage. It doesn’t matter how
well you may prepare for any eventuality,
problems will arise at unexpected times and
caused by a variety of reason and circumstances
regardless of the type of problem that arises, it
is the role of manager or supervisor to ensure
that they are sold where possible in a timely
manner, using minimal impact on staff and
customer or to ensure any negative effect are
minimize and contained. The management of
problems is one of the key and most important
requirements of manager.
Introduction

3. 01
Conflicts in Priorities
Types of Problems
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02 Resources constraints
03 Lack of information
Supplier delays
Differences in opinions
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Interpersonal conflict
Types of Problems
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06 Hazardous events
07 Time constraints
Poor staff performance.
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5. These are one of the major types or reasons
for problems in the workplace that can be
controlled.
Employee deficiencies in the workplace can be
attributed to either for poor work performance or
for work behavior. Both need to be identified and
corrected if the organization is to achieve its
goals. It is frontline or immediately supervisor
who careers this responsibility. In essence it
may not be the staff members fault or the poor
performance. Nevertheless of what has caused the
poor performance the reason must be identified to
management can make necessary change.
Handling Performance Related Problems

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Sources of Ineffective Performance
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• Before counseling an employee on poor performance or inappropriate
job behaviors it is worth considering the likely uses or worth problems.
In particular, reason tells us that an employee who has been performing
well for sometime does not simply ‘turn bad’. There must be reason for
the decline in performance.
• Definitely, we need to consider the source of ineffective work
performance because in some instances the reason might lie within our
organization such as harassment in which case, legally, it is the
organization responsibility to fix it. Similar, management cannot hope
to resolve the ineffective performance problems if they don’t
understand it’s mini source.

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Sources of Ineffective Performance
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Employee Qualities
• Problems of capacity – where the employee does not
have the required aptitude or orientation for the task
involved in the job, defects of judgement or memory.
• Family related problems – such as marital problems,
children elderly dependent relatives, money problems,
isolation from family.
• Psychological Problems – such as drug abuse
(including alcohol), gambling, irrational fears,
depression, aggressive behaviour stemming from self-
image problems.
• Physical Problems – such as lack of energy, restricted
movement, pain or illness.

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Organizational Source of Employee Performance
The origin of poor performance in the employee can
sometimes be attributed to the organization. This could
include the following factors:
• Problems with higher decision and policies such as a
person place in the wrong position
• Impact of supervisors such as leadership style, bad
communication or instruction, inappropriate managerial
standards or criteria, discrimination and a lack of
managing diversity
• Problems with peers such as harassment , bullying,
problems with team cohesion and acceptance,
discrimination and hazing.
• Problems from the work context such as geographic
location, bad physical worth environment, unsafe
condition in work process.

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Sources of Ineffective Performance
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External Source Problem
These are problems an employee can have the stem
from society and its value. These includes situation
where society values class with the job.
• Clashes with moral or religious issue- working on
certain days, assisting guest with certain unsavory
request.
• Changing economic condition- economic uncertain of
raising interest rates or impending legislation that
appears to create job insecurity.

10. Before counseling's an employee for poor performance or
conducting the performance appraisal, management needs
to consider:
• What are the symptoms and what are the likely causes
• If the causes are because of something that is
internal to the organization; the organization maybe
responsible for further problems.
• Identify whether you are dealing with a worth
performance problem, such as not achieving targets or
objectives, or a work behavior problem, such as their
work might be fine, but their behavior in the
workplace is inappropriate. This difference will be
covered in more details later.
• Interpret checklist and then put them into
Consideration and conducting performance
Appraisal

11. The manager shall review facts surrounding
performance concern before addressing staff
performance. The same way, all feedback must be based
on facts, so too must the practice of addressing staff
performance. Why do businesses monitor and address
staff performance? Many businesses have an active
program of monitoring staff performance in order to;
• Identify staff who need extra, or top-up, training
• Praise staff who are performing well
• Maintain service standards
• Demonstrate management concern and commitment to
deliver stated service levels
• Identify staff that may be able to be promoted or
given additional levels of responsibility
Reviewing Facts Surrounding Performance
Concerns

12. What might supervisors/managers have to do? Positively,
supervisors need to obtain original, first hand
evidence hence the need to gather factual evidence
about performance by exercising the following aspects.
• Observing staff while they are undertaking actual
workplace access to verify and assess practical
skills
• Listening to staff when they interact with customers/
guests to judge the level of interpersonal and
communication skills
• Examining finished products that staff have produced
• Talking to other staff, customers/guest.
• Reading the “complaints and compliments”.
What managers should do to settle the
Issue?

13. The immediate action must be taken sensitively to
avoid embarrassment to the staff member involved,
and will often require an apology to the customer
as you intervene. When you take this immediate
action, you may do the task yourself, demonstrate
the task to the worker involved and then
supervise their activities, or arrange for
another members.
The Need to Take Immediate Actions

14. • The manager shall arrange schedule to discuss
situation with employees in private manner.
• The discussion of individual staff performance is
very useful way to maintain and raise service
levels within a business.
• The management must lay out clear expectations to
the employee. This should include expectations
ass they relate to company policy and the
requirements of the position.
• The manager must documents all the meetings and
communications. Keep detailed notes of each
meeting, including the issues communicated and
any warnings which were issued.
Arrangement with Employers Discussion

15. 01
Notification of employee about Performance
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The management shall initiate the process of notifying employees about
performance discussion sessions. When staffs have been made aware of
the nature and frequency of staff performance assessments and the
relevant facts have been obtained, you will then notify the relevant staff
of time and place to conduct their performance assessment session.
• Advice staff in-person about the time and place for the session.
• Advise them of how long you expect the session to take.
• Give them a brief outline of the nature of the session.
• Let them know that their session will be conducted one-to-one.

16. 01
Factors to consider when meeting staff to address
performance
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when meeting with staff to discuss their performance then the positive
framework already established in relation to staff performance must be
continued. The following considerations help to achieve the process.
• Time the session so the staff member is fresh and more ready to listen, rather
than holding it at the end of the shift when the staff member may be tired
and wanting to go home as quickly as possible.
• hold private, one-to-one sessions that are free from interruption to protect
privacy and demonstrate you value the session.
• start the session by mentioning something positive about their performance.
This helps set the scene on a positive note.

17. 01
actors to consider when meeting staff to address
performance
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• Move on to identify the performance that is the subject of the
meeting, then explain what the requirements are this area.
• Ask the staff member how they believe they conform to those
requirements. This is a useful technique because most staff are smart
enough to know where their performance is sub-standard and they
are usually prepared to identify where they are performing below
expectations.

18. For the management, in order to maximize the possibility
of staff agreeing and committing to change then you may
need to highlight the following points to sell the need
for change in specific context relating to the change
required and the staff member concerned.
• How the change will better meet management, customer
and co-worker expectation.
• How the change will positively impact on the efforts of
colleagues.
• How the change will benefit the business-saving time,
saving cost, increasing revenue and productivity,
better safety, less waste, higher quality end products,
repeat business, etc.
• How the change will benefit them: by making their job
easier, increasing pride in their work, increasing
their level of safety, increasing the possibility of
POINTS TO ADDRESS AND CONSIDER IN CONFIRMING
AGREEMENT WITH STAFF

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TAKING DISCIPLINARY ACTION IF REQUIRED
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Your standard operating procedure should always be to use
disciplinary action against staff as the last option. Taking disciplinary
action as you first course of action will not encourage staff member’s
confidence in you, it might indicate to management.
• Plenty of one-to-one session, when requirements and consequences
have been outlined.
• Provision of appropriate support such as mentoring coaching, and
other forms of support at suitable times.
• Demonstrating your desire to work co-operatively to achieve the
required change.
• Provision of ongoing support and encouragement to comply.
• Explanation of the need for change and how such change can take
place.

20. 01
Issuing a verbal warning
Possible disciplinary action
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02 Giving a written warning
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Suspending the staff member
from duty for a prescribed
time
Dismissing the staff member
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21. When applying penalties for undesirable staff
behavior or performance it is vital that you are
consistent in the in the actions you take. Falling
to be consistent in the application of penalties
gives rise to the following factors.
• Feelings amongst the staff that you have
favorites who are treated differently/more
advantageously.
• Allegations of unfair treatment, which can have
industrial relations/legal consequences.
• Belief by management that you are incapable of
appropriate staff management in difficult times.
CONSISTENCY OF MANAGER’S ACTION

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DOCUMENTING DISCUSSIONS AND
DISCIPLINARY ACTION TAKEN
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it is advisable to document any communications
occurring between you and staff in relation to
performance or other workplace issues. You may be
tempted to believe you can accurately remember all
that was said, when it was said, etc. .
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THE NEED FOR DOCUMENTS/RECORD
• They can provide evidence of what was said and when it
was said
• They can give you material to reflect on when you are
next faced with a similar situation.
• Learn from any mistakes or errors of judgement you
might have made in the past, and we all male them.
• Provide consistency in your actions by reflecting this
time, what you did last time.

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SEEKING ASSISTANCE
OF TEAM MEMBER
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ROLE OF SUPPORT
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Support is two way street and who provides or receives
support will change depending on what is required to
effectively handle each situation. It is not uncommon for
one specific person to be both the provider and the recipient
of support, in different situation.

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PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO
EMPLOYEES
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Assistance is often the by-product of support and these two
terms are often used in the same context. Assistance is a
form of support which a person can give to another and
include, but is certainly not limited to:
• Providing back-up support
• Explaining, clarifying
• Providing solving
• Providing encouragement
• Providing feedback to another team member
• Undertaking extra tasks, if necessary

26. TYPES OF SUPPORT
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Physical support- skills set and actual physical help whether it be
lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
Intellectual support- frameworks, documents, knowledge and
advice
Financial support- money needed to be able to undertake an
activity
Infrastructural support- physical items including buildings,
equipment, fixtures
Resources support- food, beverages, uniforms, stationary and
other supply.
Mentoring – advice and guidance

27. The aim of any workplace is the achievement of tasks, to
a predetermined standard or expectation. Any failure to
do so may require some type of support to rectify any
shortfalls. as a manager, identify the need for support
is a complex matter which must be approached with
delicacy.
• The problem may be caused by manager themselves.
• They may be embarrassed they cannot do something .
• Cultural characteristics exist where people do not want
to lose face.
• They want to maintain personal pride and asking for
support may highlight a weakness or incompetency.
IDENTIFYING NEED FOR SUPPORT

28. • Observation – viewing an inability of a person to
undertake job tasks or constantly making mistakes
• Staff behavior – they may be reluctant, frustrated,
stressed or not motivated in starting or completing a
task
• Direct request form a person – whether a direct request
or repeating asking for help
• Customer complaints – customer may have complained
about a persons behavior or performance
• Productivity reports – reports may show that a person
is unable to perform tasks to a set quality standard
• New tasks or job role – new tasks and responsibilities
may require staff to receive additional resources or
training
SIGNS OF IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR SUPPORT

29. There are a number of people who will provide support
to others. As mentioned, support is the provision of
some area of assistance or expertise one person may
have which can help others complete their tasks.
Following are people who provide support and examples
of support that may be provide:
Staffs/Individuals, Unit Managers Who
Can Provide Support

30. Owners to managers
The support is mainly to provide
authority, responsibility and
resources.

31. Support departments to outlets
In modern hospitality staffing
hierarchies then it is highlighted
the staff are considered the most
important person in a business
excluding customers of course as they
are the people who have the most
direct contact with customers and
provide service to the customers.
• Human resources
• Finance
• Security
• Purchasing and stores

32. Managers to Supervisor
Departmental managers provide support
to supervisors through mentoring.
Managers and Supervisor to staff
They will provide support through
instruction, training guidance and
direction.

33. Staff to Staff
This is a very common type of
support. As hospitality outlets are
common very busy, even for brief
periods then, staff require the
immediate assistance and support of
other staff, whether to give a hand,
to delegate a task to, or to ask for
specific information, opinions,
knowledge or reinforcement.

34. Staff to Managers
They will provide support through the
completion of task and feedback in
relation to operations.

35. Customer to Managers,
Supervisors and Staff
They will provide support through the
giving feedback on products and
services through customer comment
cards and other information
collection formats used by your
organizations.

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TIMING, SUPPORT
AND ORIENTATION
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37. 01
Timing, Support And Orientation
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Our industry is one that is very much time oriented.
Customers and other staff will rely on individuals to get
nominated work finished by a set time. Customers expect
service, food, drinks or rooms cleaned by a set time and
when this doesn’t happen, their satisfaction levels drop.
Other staff may depend on others doing a certain task so
that they can then do their work. They may have factored
this into their planning and prioritizing of their workload.

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Staffs who receive support
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The people in an organization who need assistance
will commonly include the following:
• Colleagues
• People from other, but related, departments
• Managers and supervisors.

39. The management shall initiate the process of
communicating requirements of work activities using a
participative approach. When working in the hospitality
industry, there is a need for supervisors and managers to
communicate with both staff and fellow colleagues on a
constant basis. In essence colleagues are other staff in
your business; however it may also apply to people
working in external business that help provide products
or service provided to your customer. This can include
contractors or suppliers. It is importance that all these
communications are conducted in a polite, professional,
clear and concise manner.
Types of communication
• Verbal
• Written format
• Non-verbal
Communicating Requirements Of Work Activities

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TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
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• Verbal - including face-to-face communications and
talking on the phone. This is also embraces the use of
languages other than English and the use of indigenous
language.
• Written format - which includes electronic mail and
hard copy communications such as letters, sign as letter
signs, labels, posters, and advertising and warning
material.
• Non-verbal - facial expressions, gestures, sign language.

41. COMMUNICATING WITH COLLEAGUES AND STAFF
Communication with colleagues is aimed at ensuring staffs are aware of what is
expected and that each customer has an enjoyable experience at your
establishment. Communicating used between colleagues may come in different
formals, whether through meetings, emails, documentations or phone calls, but
the purpose normally is operationally focused relating to relaying information in
one of the following.
• Clarify of purpose, including vision, mission, goals
• Operational performance – financial summary, feedback of activities or
customer complaints.
• Upcoming events-times, dates, inclusion, staffing requirements and
requirements for ordering of stock.
• Products and services – new or amended offerings
• Promotional activities – schedule activities, merchandising, promotional codes,
inclusion in packages or promotions, prices and availability.
• Specific customer – VIP status, special request, bookings or complaints

42. 01
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
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• Follow all establishment policies regarding communication with costumers and
colleagues. These may exist for greeting customers, interacting with staff and
answering the phone.
• Use a persons name where it is known and if you don’t know a customers name
use sir/madam.
• Be honest but be sensitive, tactful, caring and respectful
• Use please and thank you a lot
• Don’t interrupt
• Speak at an appropriate pace and volume and don’t yell, don’t whisper
• Make sure your non-verbal language matches the verbal communication you
are sending. This commonly means smiling when it is appropriate to do so, and
displaying a serious demeanor when something serious is being discussed.

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Building trust
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Indeed, effective communication is not only important but is it
essential that trust is developed between a supervisor and staff? So what is
trust and how you should supposed to build it?
It is commonly believed and accepted that trust is perhaps the most critical
aspect in building of a harmonious, effective and efficient work
environment. This is true regardless of the industry or business. Business
that have trust among employees are usually successful and those that
don’t frequently are not.

44. 01
Ways To Create And Build Trust
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There are many great and effective ways for managers to build trust into their
teams.
1. Establish and maintain integrity – it is the foundation of trust in any hospitality
industry. Integrity must begin at the top and the move down. This means,
among other things, keeping promises and always telling the truth.
2. Communicate vision, values, mission and goals – Communication is important, since
it provides the path for information and truth. By communication the
organization’s key framework, management defines where it’s going. By
communicating its values, the methods for getting there are established.
3. Consider all employees as equal partners in the organization - Trust is established when
every staff member, regardless of positioning feels an important and active part of
the team. This begins with management not appearing to be superior or more
important than their staff.

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Ways To Create And Build Trust
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There are many great and effective ways for managers to build trust into their
teams.
4. Focus on team rather than individual and personal goals.
– When employees feel that everyone is pulling together in order to accomplish a
shared vision, rather than a series of personal agendas, trust results. This is the
essence of teamwork. When a team really works, the players trust one another.
5. Do what’s right regardless of personal risk.
– We all know intuitively what’s “right” in nearly every situation. Following this
instinctive sense and ignoring any personal consequences will nearly always
create respect from those around us. From this respect comes trust.

46. So far we have looked at ways to build trust. As can
be seen then it takes work and dedication. It is
important to note that trust can also be lost very
quickly. When lost, it is very hard to regain and can
have a major negative impact on the synergy of the team
and its effectiveness. Ways to lose trust include:
• Act and speak inconsistently - Nothing confuses people
faster than inconsistency. Staff must be able to feel
like there are consistent actions, decisions and
consequences in which to operate.
• Seek personal rather than shared gain - One who is out
only for themselves, especially in a team environment,
quickly loses the respect and trust of others.
• Withhold information - To date in this section, we have
seen the importance of effective communication. When
the communication channels shut down, rumors start
misinformation is believed to be real and then denials.
Ways to lose trust

47. • Lie or tell half-truths - Untruthfulness is a quick way
to break a bond of trust. People may accept it once,
even, twice, but normally it is not forgotten.
• Be closed – minded - It is important to note that
managers do not know everything. They are employed to
get the best out of the team and utilizing the
strengths of individual team members. An unwillingness
to consider other ideas and points of view will
certainly cut-off communication and eventually shatter
trust.
Ways to lose trust

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Managing Disagreements And Conflicts
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Establishing team work is essential for
supervisors/and or managers to get their team to
work in an effective manner. Managers shall manage
disagreements and conflicts constructively using
appropriate conflict management strategies. It is
important for all workplace conflict and
misunderstandings to be identified immediately and
dealt with on a case-by-case manner that is
sensitive and respectful. This requirement applies
to both colleagues and customers.
04
Conflict And Misunderstanding
In relation to working effectively and
successfully in a socially diverse environment,
conflict and misunderstanding must be given a very
broad interpretation and definition. In practical
terms, anything that upsets another person can be
regarded as a conflict or a misunderstanding.
Naturally there are degrees of it ranging from
being mildly upset all the way through to outright
anger and rage.

49. Conflict can involve the following variables:
• Groups
• Individuals
• Co-workers
• customers
People Involve Conflict
ADDRESSING WORKPLACE CONFLICT
Truly it is vital for managers to initiate ways in
addressing workplace conflict and misunderstanding
properly and as early as possible in order to achieve
the following :
• Keep all conflict and misunderstanding at the mild
end of the spectrum
• Clarify any perception that arose due to
misunderstanding
• Rectify the situation to the greatest extent

50. There are number of key areas that can cause conflict
misunderstanding in the workplace. Remember that all
message sent, whether verbal or non-verbal, are part of
two-way process. there may be many reasons why conflict
may flare up amongst colleagues some reasons include
the following factors.
• Pressure of work
• Lack of Good communication which may cause
misunderstandings.
• Prejudices; this relates to issues of ethnicity,
gender, body shape and age.
• Ineffective working system, where the internal
operations of the venue Cause the problem.
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CONFLICT AND
MISUNDERSTANDING

51. • Difference in opinions; we are all entitled to
different views.
• Difference in beliefs; it would be a pretty boring
world if we all believed in the same thing
• Misunderstanding; can be caused by barriers to
communication, not listening properly, putting
interpretation on a word/phrase.
• Team member not pulling their weight; staff not
contributing 100% to a team effort.
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CONFLICT AND
MISUNDERSTANDING

52. • Discussing the issue in a courteous manner – which will
demonstrate a desire to fix the problem.
• Speaking directly with the person concerned in a
respectful way.
• Apologizing for offence or misunderstanding that may
have been cause
• Taking time to talk with the person concerned- to truly
identify the relevant aspects of the situation and
determine the facts and feeling involved in the
situation.
• Asking for advice from the other party- to work out how
similar future problems may be avoided or to determined
what action to take in the future when a similar
problem arises.
• Attending mediation – where there is a dispute between
staff this provides an opportunity for both parties to
air their views in front of an independent thir person.
• Enrolling in a language class- to improve first or
second language skill that will help avert language-
based problems.
• Enrolling in other courses that may assist in improving
ACTTIONS THAT HELP THE SITUATION

53. 01
REFFERING ISSUES AND PROBLEMS TO
THE APPROPRIATE PERSON
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They may be a need in your workplace to refers any issues relating to cross
cultural issues to management. This can be to help theme ensure they discharge
responsibilities in relation to equal opportunities legislation.
in individual situation there may only be a need to refer unresolved issues to
management, so that they can assist in finding an acceptable and effective
solution that accommodate to the best extent possible, everyone’s culturally
based needs.

54. 01
KNOWING WHEN TO REFER ISSUES TO
MANAGEMENT
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• Notify the appropriate person after you believe you have come to solution.
• Revision to standard operating procedure within the establishment- such as
changes to policies procedure, training manual or operational checklist.
• Inclusion of the issues of the staff meetings and briefing session- so that other
staff can learn from what ever was the cause of the problem/ issue.
• Making contact with those involved in order to.
• Demonstrate their concern in relation to the matter.
• Ensure that the agreed solution has in place in fact and genuinely resolved the
situation.

55. 01
REFERRING THE PROBLEMS TO THE
PERSONS INVOLVED
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• Colleagues
• Your team leader
• The manager
• Human resources personnel
• The owner
• Members of the public
• Client
Indeed the persons who is deemed appropriate to refer a conflict to with may
vary depending on the nature of the conflict in question.

57. Activity !
1. Group activity: (The students will
interview an industry manager or
supervisor about the conflict that their
team members are experiencing, and
from that, they will create strategies to
address it.)