| I was talking with first-line supervisors in a utility | | | | write on the first page, 'If the objectives are not |
| company about how to deal with poor performing | | | | met, further actions, including dismissal, can be |
| employees."You've gotta put the screws to him!" | | | | taken.'"He sometimes combines Improvement |
| suggested one supervisor to his colleague who | | | | Plans with the force-ranking of all his leaders into a |
| was having trouble managing one particular poor | | | | 20/60/20 continuum. The bottom 20 percent get |
| performer."I've put so many screws to him he's | | | | the Plan. He says, "My objective is to have the |
| dead weight!" the supervisor replied.We all knew | | | | bottom 20 percent be indispensable leaders."Mind |
| what "putting the screws to him" meant -- using | | | | you, in developing a 90-day Improvement Plan, |
| rewards and punishments to force change in | | | | keep Aesop's fable in mind and seek not |
| behavior.The trouble is, rewards and punishments | | | | compliance but commitment. The Improvement |
| are the least effective ways of dealing with poor | | | | Plan must not be imposed from without but |
| performers. That's because poor performers are | | | | agreed upon. Here is a four-step process to do |
| usually smart, motivated, and tenacious -- when it | | | | that.First, all parties must agree to develop a |
| comes to poor performing.To change the | | | | 90-Day Improvement Plan. If people are forced |
| behavior of poor performers, avoid the outside-in | | | | to do it, it won't work as it should.Second, ask the |
| approach of rewards and punishments and | | | | poor performers to describe what should be in it. |
| cultivate an inside-out approach.Aesop understood | | | | Remember, you can veto any suggestions. |
| that. There is the Aesop's fable of the wind and | | | | However, it is best if its key components come |
| sun competing to see who can remove a coat | | | | from the other people. Only after they have run |
| from a man. The wind tries to blow the coat off, | | | | out of suggestions do you incorporate yours.Third, |
| but the man clutches it tightly to his body. Then | | | | develop the Plan together, and agree on its action |
| the sun grows hotter, and the man, perspiring | | | | steps.Fourth, implement it. Have weekly or |
| heavily and getting hotter and hotter, gladly rips | | | | bi-weekly meetings to insure the Plan is being |
| the coat off.The leadership lesson is clear: You can | | | | carried out.If the Plan is forced upon someone, it |
| bluster and blow to get somebody to accomplish | | | | becomes just another screw, another imposed |
| a task, but that's not as effective as setting up a | | | | reward/ punishment. However, if it is put together |
| situation in which the person gladly does it.Here is | | | | with mutual consent, indeed with mutual |
| a way to deal with poor performers using | | | | enthusiasm, it becomes the screw driver by |
| Aesop's lesson: the 90-Day Improvement Plan. A | | | | which poor performers may very well gladly put |
| business leader tells me that he uses such plans | | | | the screws into themselves.2005 © The |
| as tools for change. Each plan is comprised of two | | | | Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights |
| pages: the first page pointing out that the | | | | reserved.PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article |
| individual must improve and the second page | | | | may be republished in newsletters and on web |
| detailing the precise ways that improvement must | | | | sites provided attribution is provided to the |
| take place."Be specific about improvement," he | | | | author, and it appears with the included copyright, |
| says. "For instance, one leader I gave an | | | | resource box and live web site link. Email notice of |
| Improvement Plan to was very bright but was | | | | intent to publish is appreciated but not required: |
| not getting results. He tended to deal with future, | | | | mail to: The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's |
| strategic issues; whereas our business wants | | | | recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE |
| results now, preferably yesterday. We identified | | | | GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS |
| specific ways he could improve his performance in | | | | TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is |
| getting results, such as precise calls to make and | | | | founder and president of The Filson Leadership |
| exact, quick-closing targets to pursue."The | | | | Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has |
| objective of 90-Day Improvement Plans should | | | | been helping leaders of top companies worldwide |
| not be to get rid of people. "Their objective is to | | | | get audacious results. |
| improve performance," he says. "Though I do | | | | |