Performance Problems

Performance Problems:

Managing employees who are unable to meet performance objectives requires a lot of managerial time and attention. Personnel problems can be frustrating. One reason is our failure to take the time to analyze the causes of poor performance.

          An analysis of poor performance must include a description of the employee’s ineffective performance or behavior. Most managers, when discussing employee performance problems, start with a psychological description f the behavior or performance and then move to an assessment of the environment in which this behavior is occurring. The employee with the poor attitude may be handing in assignments late because there are positive consequences for doing so. The employee may be delaying submitting reports because it gets the boss’s attention. Or maybe the employee has to wait for others to provide input to the report, and staff allocation is beyond that employees’ control. Sending this employee to a motivation course would not change the performance. Thus, an effective analysis of performance problems must include both the employees and their environments.

          The goal of needs analysis is to identify the differences between what is and what is desired or required. When dealing with managers, doesn't use the term “needs analysis” just call it “understanding the performance problem.”

          The way to spot these performance gaps is to solicit information from those who are affected by the performance problem. A needs analyst collects information from key people within an organization about the organization, the jobs, and the employees to determine the nature of the performance deficiencies. This information identifies the problem, which is simply the difference between the way the work is being done and the most cost-effective way of doing it.