170Managing Individuals
listen to the elements of the critique that they’ve honed in on, and
pay atten tion to the images and metaphors they use. If you don’t
under stand something, ask.
•
Noticing nonverbal cues. Observe your employee’s body language
and tone. Do their voice and facial expressions match what they’re
saying? Comment on what you see and ask them to tell you more
about it: “Bill, you seem angry. Did something I say seem unfair to
you? Tell me about it.”
• Paraphrasing what your employee says. By restating a response
in different words, you show them that you understand their point.
If anything is unclear, ask more questions until you are on the
same page.
Step 5: Create a new performance plan
Give your employee the fi rst opportunity to develop a plan to close any
gaps between their current and required performance: “What would you
propose?” They’ll be more committed to a solution they’ve authored and
more explicitly responsible for carrying it out. As with coaching, you can
challenge questionable assumptions or offer ideas to strengthen the plan.
In some cases, you’ll need to be very directive. For staff with major perfor-
mance gaps, the product of this conversation will be part of their record
and should include:
• Specifi c goals
• A timeline
• Action steps
• Expected outcomes
• Required trainings or resources
You don’t need to limit this conversation to strengths and problem
areas. Since an entire year may have passed since their last performance
review, take this opportunity to reexamine their overall performance goals,