How To Tell An Employee To “Get It Together, Or Get Out” Tactfully

OKAY.  So you have an employee that’s not performing.  In fact, not only is he not performing, he’s being confrontational to other employees and is causing your work environment to be hostile.  If you’re a manager, you need to address this issue – STAT.

SO WHAT DO YOU DO???

           

First, you should know that it is always a good idea to relay bad news with something positive first.  Bad news should never be sugarcoated, but it is okay to soften the blow.  The last thing anyone wants is to add stress to someone who is already having issues.  If the employee has been with the company for a short period of time, then that is a small indicator that he must have done something right at some point to have survived.  Let’s face it…had he performed and behaved this way at the start of his employment, he would have been given ultimatum - also known as the BOOT a long ago. 

           

            First, think about whether you can give him some positive feedback about his past performance.    I would begin the discussion with “appreciation” and a “compliment” by telling him that it was his expertise and willingness to work with a team that got him hired.  I would ask him if there were something in his personal life that could be causing the decline in his performance and confrontational behavior. 

            Oftentimes, people are unable to leave their personal matters and emotions at home or check them at the office door before they come in to work.  Next, I would ask if there was some work reason why he has changed.  Perhaps he is not receiving enough support from his teammates. 

            Finally, I would help determine whether there is what Abigail and Cahn call a “work-life conflict” which means that he may be having a hard time managing his family and his work demands.  Many times one cannot complete a job without support or information from someone else.  This form of conflict resolution is what Roebuck (2006) calls the “indirect approach” (p. 88). 

            I would expect his response to be positive and calm since that is the manner in which I would begin the discussion.  If I begin the meeting by telling him about all the things he had done wrong, he would become defensive and probably angry.  I would enforce the fact that his confrontational behavior is equivalent to bullying and would not be tolerated. 

            I would deliver the ultimatum by telling him he had two options.  Either he could attempt to resolve what is causing the behavior if he wants to stay, or he could continue his substandard performance and confrontational behavior and no longer have a place on our team. 

References:

Cahn, D.D., & Abigail, R.A. (2007). Managing conflict through communication (4th ed.). Boston, MA

Roebuck, D.B. (2006).  Improving business communications skills (4^th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.