Finding The Real Win

Results should be about the long-term objective versus the quick-win solution. That quick win can wind up costing far more than it's worth.

Now, there is a place for short-term wins. These provide bursts of motivation and movement in the right direction that significantly helps to undergird long-term change in a company. However, short-term wins that involve shortchanging the employee for the sake of numbers are not the best resolution in the long run.

In business,?you will encounter individuals that really pull on your heartstrings. They are sincere and diligent to do what is requested, but they still fall short of the goal, and it's not for lack of trying!

You've provided support and coaching to help them succeed, and your hope is that eventually, they will, but it doesn't look like it will be any time soon, and you need to make a decision regarding whether they will move forward or not.

?That's what we call a tough call.

Does the person have the potential??Absolutely. But when we compare their current performance to the performance of others who have had the same training, support, and coaching, their performance is significantly below the rest.

Based on their current performance, they're simply not ready, and the right call would be to highlight specific action steps the employee can take to improve and then give them an opportunity to try again later once they've achieved the performance benchmarks.?That means they will miss out on the current opportunity to move forward.

That becomes a win-win for the company and the employee. The company will gain an employee that can proficiently do the job they were hired to do, and the employee is more than likely retained longer because they don't give up in frustration trying to perform a job they are not ready to do.

It's easy to push employees through with crossed fingers that they will "figure it out" once they start the job. Ask the kid that was passed from grade to grade and winds up graduating with a third-grade reading level how that worked out for them.

There are a variety of corporate dynamics that can produce the "Push the employee along" syndrome. The characteristics of this syndrome include high turnover, low morale, and lack of employee engagement. Many employees don't feel supported in this atmosphere; therefore, they give the bare minimum while quietly looking for another opportunity.

Why not give the employee the fresh opportunity they're looking for in their current position? We can do this by providing the following:

• ?Adequate training and supportive feedback on how they are doing in their role before it becomes a performance improvement plan.
• Ongoing coaching and encouragement. Catch them doing something right!
• One-on-one interactions to applaud accomplishments and redirect or refresh in areas that need improvement.

?Three simple things that will take time but are worth the effort. People want to do work that makes them feel like the effort is worth it. They also want to believe that they matter and are not simply a means to an end, e.g., reaching quotas and filling seats.?The long-term, sustainable, and productive outcome of taking care of your employees far outweighs short-term, unsustainable quick wins.

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