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But suddenly you realize that they are not the same.
They seem to lack focus.
They are not concentrating. Mistakes happen.
Covid, family, health, it all affects us differently.
You suddenly hear some complaints from colleagues, their team and the occasional customer.
Productivity is going down.
Success is declining.
And now your alarm bells are going off.
Shit you think! Do I need to fire this person?
And I hear you.
Your thoughts are completely normal.
Keeping a person means in general:
Letting the person go comes again into your mind.
Alright, let’s talk about that as well:
You can always go through a performance management or capability process, depending on the law of the country you are operating in.
The downside of this often is:
Not sure how you feel, but it seems like both scenarios are not ideal.
You see, for most of us at some point in life, things get turned upside down.
For different reasons.
Life is 50/50. For all of us. Ugly things are part of life.
For some more often or more intense than others.
For some, it is harder than for others.
Most of us are not good at asking for or getting help.
We don’t want to come across as not capable. Or being a burden.
Funnily, we all accept that during our career we need training and support.
Someone to bounce ideas off.
Accomplish common goals.
What if life was the same?
What if it was perfectly acceptable and encouraged to get help and support at times?
The truth is, this is actually how things work.
Whether we like it or not.
Whether we accept it or not.
Whether we think it’s stupid or not.
So what if it was perfectly acceptable and encouraged to offer help and support to your staff?
I mean, we always have the option to go through performance management and eventually let a person go.
The route you go down depends on your aim.
In order for a company to perform, we need people to perform.
In order for people to perform, they need experience and training.
That’s one part fixed.
The other part is the human factor.
People are not cars or machines.
Well, even when we think about a car, it’s not sufficient to just re-fill petrol and make an oil change.
At some point, the car needs more maintenance, service.
A new set of brake pads or tyres, right?
So, humans need similar support.
Now look at your staff member, that was once a really good performer.
Because unlike a car, they actually can appreciate what you have done for them as an employer.
And it makes you attractive. For existing staff, to customers, to the outside world.
Because people may not remember every word you say to them.
But they will always remember how you treat them.
And that, they will shout out to the world.
Whether you like it or not.
And regardless of any confidentiality agreements.
– Your staff member learns and applies the tools I teach and manages to put themselves back on track.
– Your staff member may not want to stay in the company any longer, which may result in an amicable departure and a lot less time and money spent on performance management.
