SERIES: Part Two of a Three-Part
ArticleCan it get any more uncomfortable than this? Probably
at the top of any managerial-leader’s list of uncomfortable and disliked
functions is that of facilitating a counseling or disciplinarian intervention
session with a problem player.
An effective organization can be
terrorized by a problematic employee, productive employees can leave, turnover
can become systemic and implosions can occur daily if not addressed. An
effective leader must recognize these disruptions as opportunities to provide
subtle – or not so subtle – behavior course corrections to an individual and
bring them back into being a contributor instead of a detractor.
To
facilitate the actual session, mentally design the intervention into three
stages: Opening Dialogue, Body Dialogue and Closing Dialogue. While you may have
rehearsed in your head a dozen times your opening statement, and perhaps even
the body context, putting all three together is what few managers do, causing
counseling interventions to become long-winded diatribes.
- Opening Dialogue should
start with a power statement such as, “We are here because of the choices you
have made…” Immediately establish the fact-based reason for this intervention,
and calmly communicate the ground rules for this engagement, as well as are and
are not acceptable discussion points and behaviors. Qualify the pain factor or
leverage that you have at your disposal to ensure the purpose of the meeting is
taken seriously. Ensure that they know they have been appreciated, or they never
would have been employed on that team. Let them know that, from that
perspective, you ultimately value them on the team and wish for this meeting
agenda to be amicably resolved. This should be a very concise, controlled and
even rehearsed set-up sentence…don’t belabor the point in your opening!
- Body Dialogue allows
you to expand on the issue – and only that issue – at hand. This is where you
develop the subject matter, share precisely what the behavior(s) is that will no
longer be accepted, associate the why factor to the behavior and either design
the action-implementation plan or accept their resignation.
If you can
design a document that details the specific problem behavior, and they sign it,
it can serve as a “Letter of Resignation” should the problem persist. Far too
often, due to gutless leadership, legal protection is afforded to problem
players, who just float from one organization (or department) to another,
terrorizing everyone. They are then further financially compensated when
terminated via tax payer-funded unemployment services or litigation. Therefore,
behavioral change can be stimulated if the pain factor is powerful enough!
- Closing Dialogue is
just as important as the Opening and Body. Just as you may have spent days
rehearsing the other two stages, so too should you invest mental time crafting a
non-combative, supportive closing statement that you can conversationally
present as a transition from what will most likely be an uncomfortable dialogue
to the next obvious aspect of your day. Consider how you will conversationally
exit the Body and, for that matter, the environment in which you are conducting
your session. This will help prevent a fight or flight situation and avoid
causing passive-aggressive behaviors by the problem player afterward. Your aim
is to turn the problematic player into a productive player once again!
As the leader of a team of individuals, your ultimate goal is to draw
out and showcase the strengths and skills of each person in pursuit of growing
your organization.
How do you draw out your team players strengths and skills?