Using the example above: If a manager needs to have a performance coaching conversation with an employee, they should always follow-up. The number one rule for any type of conversation surrounding compensation is to be prepared. If an employee comes in late one day and believes that you did not notice their lateness, they are more likely to come in late a second time. Even if you are the employee's boss, start by stating that you have some feedback you'd like to share.Ask if this is a good time or if the employee would prefer to select another time and place. It helps make the content and conversation clear, focused on objective information and helps avoid the tension or shame that can occur in conversations like this. There is a technique that you can use for this that is called the direct conversation or the crucial conversation. For starters, you won’t be able to rely on this employee to complete his or her part of projects. Picture this. Employees are less likely to show up late if they know they have to discuss it with someone. 1) Agreements and Expectations. Conversation Starters - the best methods and approaches to start and maintain a conversation in the workplace. And, when he was late, yet again, the next day, it was no surprise to anyone that I had to write him up. Start the conversation. Consider this; if an employee comes in late all the five days in a week but you only notice it on one day, they were technically late only one day of the week, since that is the only day you know about. This short, video-based course will show users how to prepare for, and carry out, a challenging conversation with an employee. The task of gathering and maintaining attendance records for all employees is required. Take the example of the employee who’s always late. State the consequences of excessive absenteeism — including the potential for termination. Try these nine crucial rules. Having a conversation with employees who are always late to work An employee who is consistently late can cause problems for a manager on several fronts; there's the impact on service delivery or productivity; the loss of goodwill from their colleagues if it's not managed effectively; and damage to company reputation if they're customer facing. But all of these unplanned employee absences are making it hard to run your business. Since it's the one employee that is late and not the others I need to speak with the employee that's late and make that clear that everyone else is arriving on time and I need to treat everyone equally so if it continues I will need to write him up. By stating your disapproval of the tardiness the first time it happens, it lets the employee know that it’s unacceptable to arrive late in the organization. Conversation between 2 colleagues discussing promotion for one of them What is the conversation about? Sometimes we need to do developmental coaching and sometimes our conversations needs to be tactical. It’s up to you, but if you plan to touch on career plans, it’s prudent to give your employee a heads up because those conversations “require reflection and thought,” she says. In some cases, you may find out that the employee is having child care conflicts or has other time constraints. Difficult conversations with employees are unavoidable, whether it’s a performance issue or failed project. A hilarious conversation between HR Manager & Employee. With the right preparation, you can turn these emotionally-charged discussions into effective lines of communication that lead to quick resolutions. Because getting to work on time is not really a skill set. Establishing trust with employees before difficult conversations are necessary and it helps to ease these conversations. For an employee that is often late to work, the conversation … Begin with the creation of attendance management policies and an employment agreement that both parties agree to. You needn’t handle everyone with an iron hand. Generally, that starts with having a conversation with the employee after the first or second late arrival. Once you've told him that you want to discuss a difficult topic, move right into the topic of your difficult conversation. Fortunately, there are ways to take a proactive approach and handle a chronically late employee that will help both the individual employee and the company as a whole. When you approach an employee about their mental health, it’s important to establish an environment where they feel comfortable talking with you. The area covered is: • Dealing with an Employee Who is Repeatedly Late for Work. The most important thing a manager should focus on is productivity. Unless it is shift job, timing is not that much crucial. Listen and make exceptions when necessary. Give faster feedback One of the most important ways to deal with underperforming employees is to reduce the feedback gap once an employee has been identified as an underperformer. It’s an opportunity to let the employee know they’re meeting the performance standard. Depending on your workplace culture and Federal and state employment laws, you may want to create penalties for employees who show up late to work more than, say, once per month. I documented our conversation for HR and sent him a copy via email for his records as well. But ultimately, good, clear communication is how you train your employees up to the standard you want (which we talked about a little bit here). Tips for Holding Difficult Conversations . Institute consequences for lateness. Seek permission to provide the feedback. The course will show users: • a feedback model to help them structure a challenging conversation with an employee. Employees that know they can get away with being late are more likely to take advantage of the situation. It’s how you discipline staff without ruining relationships. This not-so-fun conversation you likely saw coming. We do have the option of starting at 8:30 and leaving at 5:30, I'm going to offer that. A chronically late employee is not necessarily a bad employee, but the tardiness does have to stop. This is especially important when the employee is a low performer and disciplinary action may be necessary. As an employee, whether you are negotiating salary, asking for a raise, or discussing a bonus, you need to walk into the conversation prepared to clearly state what you are asking for and why you think you deserve it. Proactive Tips to Prevent Chronic Employee Tardiness Implement a Lateness Policy How to Handle Late and Absent Employees. It’s a fairly routine deployment, but this time, it’s not full of victories. So, after numerous attempts with more diplomatic approaches, I pulled him aside and informed him that if he was late again, I’d have to write him up. Stay off your phone and computer. Chapter 10: New Manager’s Playbook–Having Difficult Conversations With Employees By Marcus Blankenship. It’s time to have “the talk”: The one where you have to figure out how to discuss poor performance with an employee. For example, they may have a health issue or something similar that they haven’t been forthcoming about with you. If your employee comes in to your business late every morning — or is absent, or taking personal day after personal day — you’ll soon develop a problem. Objectives. These conversations need to happen at the moment the issue occurs, and it must be done one-on-one with the employee privately. An employee handbook is a great way to spell out your policy on excessive absenteeism, as well as the reporting process employees should follow if they’re late or absent. The time to talk about an employee attendance problem is when you first notice it. It’s how you make sure you’re running the tightest ship possible. Steps to Provide Feedback in a Difficult Conversation . From an HR perspective, you have to identify the behavior and give the employee a verbal warning. Unfortunately.. That’s not the world we live in. As you plan this conversation, here are a few points to keep in mind. #6 Document each instance of tardiness and the reason the employee was late. Something goes wrong—seriously wrong—and when the dust settles, you discover the problem centers on a basic mistake from one of your programmers. Video created by University of California, Davis for the course "Coaching Conversations". #7 Enforce the rules consistently. After missed deadlines and low quality of work, you may have tried to have it, inquiring about their underperformance, one-off. 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