Ensure employees are competent

As a department store manager in a mid-sized company, I frequently have to insure the employees are performing at company standards. My company provides technology support services so customer service must be at its highest. At this position I currently oversee ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service. I have had the fortune of working with hard working and knowledgeable people.

                Recently, I have been notified that one of my employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level. I have begun to receive numerous complaints from customers and coworkers.  In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment. I have come to the conclusion that I must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.

                Wanting to confront this individual with the most success, I looked to tactics of giving an ultimatum. You give an ultimatum when the relationship is important and an issue is threatening that. I felt as though this individual was worth keeping as an employee, but substandard work and a hostile attitude was threatening his position in the company. I decided to approach the employee with boundaries. I wanted to let them know how their behavior was affecting myself, co-workers, and employees. I clearly would state that I wanted this employee to achieve the quality service and hospitable attitude that I knew they were capable of. And I would forthcoming that if I don’t see this behavior then I would be forced to dismiss them as an employee.

                Going into this I knew I must stand my ground and follow through with any decision I come to. Whether it’s talking to someone about a drinking problem or confronting an employee who is performing substandard work, the approach can be very similar and successful.

                Going about it this way I anticipate the employee’s response is going to be initial compliance, yet I fear they will attempt to vent their anger further towards the customers. If they admit they were wrong and assure me it won’t happen again I will set a day later on in the week where we could sit down and discuss it more in depth. I believe only getting to the root of the problem will truly fix it. Should the employee get upset with me and make excuses, I will make some initial comments as though I am reaching out a helping hand. After all, should the employee have recently experienced the death of a loved one, I would want to give them the opportunity to express where their anger is stemming from. If they do not offer such information, I would send them home and tell them to return when they are capable for work. At such a moment they will either be dismissed for not returning to work or will be dismissed if they return with the same hostile attitude.

                The conflict resolution skills I will use will be to focus on maintaining a healthy relationship with the employee rather than simply being right. I will focus on the present issues that have been brought to my attention. I would be willing to forgive if the employee makes amends and becomes a productive and skillful employee. There is however no “agree to disagree”. If I cannot insure that the employee will perform to my expectations I will dismiss them.

http://familyinabottle.com/free-articles/why-using-an-ultimatum-with-a-problem-drinker-may-not-work-and-what-you-can-do-about-it

http://helpguide.org/mental/eq8_conflict_resolution.htm