Explanation
of how to approach this employee
Approaching
an employee about problems concerning work is always difficult. One way to
prepare for the conversation is to study and follow the “six confrontation steps”
described in Managing Conflict through Communication
by Ruth A. Abigail and Dudley D. Cahn. These six steps are:
1. Preparation: Identify your problem/needs/issues.
2. Tell
the person “We need to talk.”
3. Interpersonal
confrontation: Talk to the other person about your problem.
4. Consider
your partner’s point of view: Listen, empathize, and respond with understanding.
5. Resolve
the problem: Make a mutually satisfying agreement.
6. Follow
up on the solution: Set a time limit for reevaluation.
(Abigail & Cahn, 2011 p.35)
Once
comfortable with the “six confrontation steps”, and deciding what the problem
is (step 1), a manager then needs to set up a meeting with the employee. A person
does not need to outright say “we need to talk,” but designating time for a
meeting and telling the employee that it is for an evaluation of current
performance will give plenty of notice as to the topic of discussion and plenty
of time for the employee to prepare. It is a good idea to select a location that
is free from distractions. Planning the meeting at least a few hours in
advance, if not a day in advance, would be ideal.
Anticipation
of Employee Response
There
are a few ways the employee could respond to being summoned for an evaluation
meeting and to hearing about his current performance.
Responses
the employee could have to the upcoming meeting may include anger, anxiousness,
or a carefree attitude. Anger may be displayed before the meeting or it could
be held in until the meeting actually takes place. Anxiousness may be displayed
in his daily work and he may even request to go home for the day leading up to
the meeting. A carefree attitude may suggest that he has no idea what the
meeting could be about. In either case the manager should be prepared to have
the meeting earlier than planned, should the employee feel the need to be done with
the situation as soon as possible.
The
manager also needs to anticipate the employee response for when the meeting is
taking place. Management should expect some defensiveness and should take notes
on how to create a supportive climate by creating a sense of equality and provisionalism
(Abigail & Cahn, 2011 p.113) that will show the employee management is in
place to help, not lord over. Also, the manager should not be taken back if the
employee recognizes that there are problems with his performance. The manager
should then be prepared to listen to issues and to empathize with the employee
if the problems with work are related to situations outside the work place.
Conflict
Resolution Technique
The
key to a conflict resolution technique that will work is determining how much
of the employee’s performance has been effected by his current attitude. If the
complaints about him and the confrontational behavior are new behaviors, management
must take into account the great possibility that the changes are due to
outside influences (illness, marital issues, financial strain).
Taking
the S-TLC (Stop, Think, Listen, Communicate), as defined in Managing Conflict through Communication, approach
towards dealing with the employee is a good idea. By taking the time to stop and step away from the problem for
a while, the manager dealing with the issue at hand has time to clarify any
questions regarding the situation. Thinking
about what may be going on in the employee’s life, the strategies that will be
taken to correct the inappropriate actions, and possible outcomes of the confrontation
are all part of the next step. Perhaps the most important step in conflict
resolution is listening. Being open
to the other person’s views, reserving judgment during the discussion, and having
empathetic responses are all appropriate actions while listening. Finally,
being able to communicate by using I-statements
(which personalize all feelings) and setting clear goals for the employee,
round out the S-TLC method (Abigail & Cahn, 2011 p.69).
Conclusion
Being
prepared, knowing what the problems are, having a clear goal in mind, and being
willing to listen to others problems are all skills a manger needs. If it is
possible to anticipate the employee’s reaction, a manager will be able to
tailor the conflict resolution meeting to fit the scenario. By having the
ability to appropriately handle conflicts when they come up can be done by
using the “six confrontation steps” and the S-TLC methods. Listening to all
concerns and being able to communicate personal ideas will move along the
conversation while keeping it on track and to the point.
References
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~Temi