BUSINESS ADVICE Having Effective ‘Courageous Conversations’ in the Workplace and Why We Dread Them!
Caryn Walsh is a Business Leader, Strategist and Psychologist, Founder of Pure Magic. Her Fiji clients include Organisations in many sectors - government, banking, resorts, hardware and home living and Peak bodies to
Ask any leader what they do about non-performers in their team or organisation and the responses are varied.
Some will performance manage them and encourage the person to perform more effectively in their role. Others (at great cost to the Organisation and other team members) will simply move them from department to department, hoping the problem will ‘go away.’
As a last resort, few will take stringent action and terminate their employment. This ‘shifting of the problem’ resolves nothing – it just creates problems for other parts of the Company.
It won’t go away. Rarely do we see leaders who have Courageous Conversations well and part of that is not knowing how to conduct them and the other is feeling uncomfortable to do so. When we ask leaders if they have Courageous Conversations with their people when needed, the chance is that they don’t, or they do it badly. You cannot afford not to have these Conversations in leadership.
They are part of your role. If your people are not reaching their goals, neither are you
What is poor or under-performance?
According to FairWork, under-performance is: nUnsatisfactory work performance – a failure to perform the duties of the position or to the standard required
Non-compliance with workplace policies, rules or procedures
Unacceptable workplace behavior
Disruptive or negative behavior that impacts co-workers.
Underperformance is not the same as misconduct.
Misconduct is a serious behavior (such as theft or assault) that may warrant instant dismissal.
In cases of misconduct, employers should seek specific advice about how to proceed before they take any action
Dealing with poor performance - A reality of Leadership
Leadership can be lonely. At times, we struggle to get through things, we may have people in our team not doing their work or under-performing or just not showing skills that make you feel they are competent in the role.
So, what do you do with them now?
Many Leaders are hesitant or unsure what to do about non-performers, whilst others dread the ultimate ‘you have to pull your socks up’ discussion. Addressing poor performance is a key role in leadership and should be conducted as a routine aspect of a leaders role.
When poor performance goes unaddressed for long periods of time, as too often it does, it can become a major problem and manifests itself into a situation that can blow out of control.
And it doesn’t need to end this way.
The dreaded ‘Courageous Conversation.’
These are conversations with our people that are ‘hard to have’ because they may make you and the other person uncomfortable, awkward and may leave lingering resentment. According to the 2017 Employee Trends Report by Quantum Workplace, one of the biggest areas of concern for team members is that there is often not enough open and honest communication with managers.
Why is this?
Why does miscommunication pervade at least 50 percent of business conversations?
What happens if you don’t have this Conversation?
Nothing will change The problem will grow over time
Frustrations will heighten and resentment within the team may occur
Key goals won’t be achieved because actions are not being taken to reach them
The key question as a leader that you need to ask is: What will happen if I don’t have this conversation?
5 Steps to having effective, meaningful Courageous Conversations at Work
If you put structure into the way you have these conversations and think about the outcomes you want and thoroughly prepare well, these ‘Courageous Conversations’ can turn into ‘Great Conversations.
TIP: The best way to approach them is to prepare. Write down everything you want to say in the conversation. Break up the items into the Introduction, Main Body and Ending and as you go through the conversation, make sure you cover all the points you want to talk about. Just like writing and essay.
Step One: Clarity – Be clear about why
Before approaching the person, make sure you are clear about why you are having this conversation.
What is the root cause of the problem and how does it impact the person’s performance and what is the impact on the wider team?
Step Two: Curiosity – Show interest in them
Before you tell the other person what you are thinking and seeing (such as low performance) ask them questions about what they think is going on?
What has changed for them? What is going on in their role? Are they under-skilled and feeling stretched?
What is happening in their life? Listen to what they are saying, paying attention to their body language, eye contact and how they sit when talking to you.
Body language is 75 per cent of communication, so if in doubt, watch their bodies over what they tell you.
Step Three: Coherent – Summarise back to them what they have said
Ensure that you have understood what they have said by using summarising – say back to them what they have said to you.
If they explain they are late because of family sickness, say back to them
‘So you are telling me that you have been late for the last four days because you have a family member who is unwell. Is that correct?
Step Four: Be Congruent – Share your opinions with the person
Share your opinions and perspective with the person once they have said what they need to say.
Help them see where you are coming from, and not ignore what they have said.
For all you know, there could be serious things occurring in their life and if you go in to have a ‘Courageous Conversation’ without asking them what is happening, you are not listening. And you are not leading.
You are concerned with your own perspective, not theirs.
Step Five: Create a Solution together – Look for a way forward
You have both shared your perspectives and now it’s time to find a solution. What will help here?
What can work? What assistance do they need to work through this issue and get back on track?
Key Skills to use when having Courageous Conversations as a Leader
1.Stay calm – be grounded (centre). Breathe deeply, listen – Don’t talk. When they are, say nothing. Watch body language
2. Never attack the person for underperforming – it is unprofessional and n ot the behaviour of exemplary leaders.
3. Show empathy – See it from their side. In every situation, there are two (or more) sides to every story. Listen to theirs before you put yours across
4. Be attentive.
Ask them how they are going and what is happening. Sit facing them, paying attention and showing interest in what they say
5. Open ended questions start with these:
Tell me a little about what is happening for you? What is going on that may be impacting on their performance?
Tips to remember during the Courageous Conversation
Be emotionally intelligent during the discussion.
Never criticise or insult the individual in anger or be demeaning to them as a person.
Stay calm and in control. Have the discussion as soon as possible.
The longer you leave it, the more the individual feels that their lack of performance (if they are aware of it) is condoned.
Be specific about your observations.
For example, say ‘I have noticed that you arrive at work late on three mornings each week – Monday, Tuesday and Friday.’ Don’t say ‘You often come late.’
Have the conversation in private.
It is never okay to have performance review discussions in front of others (unless it involves them as well). Always have discussions about performance and competence one on one.
Support your comments with data.
Explain what they are not doing well, and use numbers and examples to support your point.
For example, say ‘you only achieved 46 per cent efficiencies on your machine this week’ as opposed to ‘you don’t seem to get the efficiencies you should.’
Explain the impact of their lack of performance on others. nWhen a person or team under-performs, it means others must ‘pick up the slack.’ During the discussion, explain that because they are late, other people must stay back to wait for them, which impacts their family life, for example.
Conclusion
Courageous Conversations are never enjoyable, or necessarily easy to have. However, there are many positive aspects that can result from these discussions – an example is the individual improving their performance significantly and enjoying a great career with your Organisation.
As a leader, learn how to conduct these conversations professionally and calmly, always looking for a solution that suits you (their leader), the Organisation and the individual.
The more we look for winwin solutions, the better off we are.
Don’t put these discussions off and don’t tolerate bad or under-performing behaviour. You are there to lead, so learn how to do it well.