The Employee Performance Handbook: Smart Strategies for Coaching Employees, 3rd Edition

Maximize employee performance―whether your workers are on-site or remote Confronting employees about poor performance is an ordeal dreaded by managers and HR pros everywhere. The possibility of emotional outbursts―and the specter of a lawsuit―leaves even many experienced managers at a loss. The Employee Performance Handbook is a complete how-to guide for managing employee performance. Packed with practical and legal advice, this book offers smart strategies that will help get the most out of your employees and avoid legal trouble. You’ll learn how to: identify problems early on decide when discipline is necessary choose the right response to a problem engage employees in improving performance fire employees when necessary protect against wrongful termination lawsuits, and manage a remote workforce effectively. With downloadable forms: You can download sample policies, sample forms, checklists, skills-building exercises, and more, (details inside). Cover 1 Title Page 4 Table of Contents 10 Introduction 16 What Is Performance Management? 17 The Benefits of Employee Performance Management 18 Getting Results by Improving Performance 19 Avoiding Legal Trouble 20 Who Should Read This Book 20 How to Use This Book 21 PART I: An Overview of Managing Performance 24 1: Performance Management Basics 26 What a Smart Policy Should Look Like 27 How Performance Management Works 31 Using This Book With Your Company’s Policy 40 2: Principles of Effective Performance Management 42 Principle 1: Your Goal Is Engagement— Not Termination 44 Principle 2: Responses Should Be Proportionate 45 Principle 3: Have the Facts at Your Fingertips 46 Principle 4: Listen to Your Employees 46 Principle 5: Collaboration Is the Key to Success 47 Principle 6: Be Flexible Within a Consistent Framework 48 Principle 7: Some Employment Relationships Don’t Work Out 49 3: Avoiding Legal Trouble 52 Strategy 1: Don’t Compromise At-Will Employment 54 Strategy 2: Be Consistent 59 Strategy 3: Be Objective 62 Strategy 4: Don’t Retaliate 63 Strategy 5: Make Reasonable Accommodations for Employees With Disabilities 67 Strategy 6: Be Careful When Disciplining for Absences 73 Strategy 7: Deal With Dangerous Situations Right Away 79 Strategy 8: Keep It Confidential 82 Strategy 9: Remember: You Represent the Company 83 Strategy 10: Document Everything 84 Build Your Skills: An Overview of Employee Corrective Action 86 PART II: Is It Time to Intervene? 90 4: Identifying Potential Problems 92 Knowing What to Look For: The Three Types of Employee Problems 93 How to Spot Employee Problems 97 5: Deciding What Action to Take 114 Is Corrective Action Appropriate? 115 Special Considerations for Remote Workers 120 How Serious Is the Problem? 123 Choosing the Right Response 131 Build Your Skills: Is It Time to Intervene? 140 PART III: Smart Performance Management Skills 144 6: Why Performance Management Is Hard 146 Understanding Your Emotions 147 Accept the Challenge 156 7: How to Discuss a Performance Problem With an Employee 158 Prepare Your Opening Statement 160 Set the Tone 160 Engage in Active Listening 163 Adapt to New Information 168 Agree on an Action Plan 169 8: Smart Ways to Deal With Difficult Employee Reactions 176 Emotional Reactions 178 Masking Reactions 186 9: Smart Documentation 194 The Benefits of Documenting Corrective Actions 195 Guidelines for Effective Documentation 197 Informal Documentation 203 Formal Documentation, Step by Step 205 10: Smart Collaboration: Involving the Right People at the Right Time 214 Involving Management 215 Involving Human Resources 218 Involving Legal Counsel 221 Involving Other Employees 224 Build Your Skills: Smart Performance Management 232 PART IV: The Performance Management Steps 238 11: Step 1: Coaching 240 What Is Coaching? 241 To Coach or Not to Coach? 242 Types of Coaching 243 How Do You Coach? 246 When Coaching Is Over 255 12: Step 2: Verbal Warnings 258 What Is a Verbal Warning? 259 When to Give a Verbal Warning 259 How to Give a Verbal Warning 262 13: Step 3: Written Warnings 282 What Is a Written Warning? 285 When to Give a Written Warning 285 How to Give a Written Warning 288 Build Your Skills: The Performance Management Steps 310 PART V: If Performance Management Fails 316 14: Termination 318 Is It Time for Termination? 320 Prepare for the Meeting 328 The Termination Meeting 333 Documentation 339 15: Life After Managing Terminations 342 Conduct a Process Evaluation 343 Talk to Your Team 348 Tell Others Who Need to Know 353 Moving Forward 356 Build Your Skills: If Performance Management Fails 358 Appendix A: Sample Forms and Checklist 366 Sample Corrective Action Policy 368 Sample Corrective Action Notice 370 Sample Corrective Action Checklist 372 Appendix B: Sample Documentation 374 Sample Coaching Memo 1 375 Sample Coaching Memo 2 376 Sample Coaching Memo 3 377 Sample Verbal Warning 1 378 Sample Verbal Warning 2 380 Sample Verbal Warning 3 382 Sample Written Warning 1 384 Sample Written Warning 2 386 Sample Written Warning 3 388 Sample Follow Up 1 390 Sample Follow Up 2 391 Sample Follow Up 3 392 Sample Termination 1 393 Sample Termination 2 394 Sample Termination 3 396 Appendix C: State Laws 398 State Laws Prohibiting Discrimination in Employment 399 State Laws That Control Final Paychecks 414 Appendix D: Using the Downloadable Forms 422 Editing RTFs 423 List of Forms and Podcasts 424 Index 426 Book Registration 449 Additional Employment Law Resources at Nolo.com 449 "This book is a how-to guide for employee discipline. It contains practical and legal advice, offering strategies that will help managers and HR personnel improve employee performance and avoid legal trouble. This book discusses how to: identify problems early on, decide when discipline is necessary, choose the right response to a problem, engage employees in improving performance, collaborate with employees to come up with solutions, fire employees when necessary, and protect against wrongful termination lawsuits"-- Provided by publisher