Staff Performance – 7 Deadly Sins Managers Commit To Stop It Stone Dead

Introduction

“Staff performance depends on managers telling staff exactly what’s expected of them.” You’ve heard or read this or something like it 1000 times. .” And it’s true. But there’s a little unstated bit too.

7 Deadly Sins

You must tell staff what you want. But you must practice what you preach. If you say one thing but do another expect staff to do what you do not what you say. The 7 Deadly Sins may not send you to hell. But you’ll suffer for them. These are some common examples.

1. Slack Timekeeping

Staff will generally understand that you need some flexibility in start and finish times. But meetings are something else.  Start meetings on time. Be on time yourself. Be prepared. Start on time regardless of how many people are ready. Holding up meetings for latecomers inconveniences everyone else. And it tells all concerned that when you say 10 am you don’t mean what you say.

2. Deadline Stretching

You and an employee agree on a specific deadline for he or she to submit a report. The deadline passes. You say nothing. The employee submits the report three days late. You accept it with only a mild admonition. Word soon gets around that your deadlines are “flexible”. Staff performance soon reflects this.

3. Sloppy Record Keeping

You insist that employees submit leave absence forms before taking leave. You need accurate records for many reasons. But some staff forget. You accept their forgetfulness. Before long everyone ignores your instruction. No one bothers to complete a form before taking leave. Your improved record keeping has stopped stone dead.

4. Police Officer Posturing

You become concerned that staff are “borrowing” hand tools to use at home. No one follows the “private borrowing” policy. You insist that it be followed. Over time, private hand tool use doubles and your inventory costs follow. Was that the staff performance you wanted?

5. One Rule For You …

This is a common “deadly sin”. You have a “no receipt, no reimbursement” policy for petty cash. Occasionally you’re an offender. But you always claim reimbursement, with or without a receipt. The word soon gets out: there’s one rule for the boss and another for the rest of us.

6. The Broken Promise

There are countless versions of this deadly sin. All of them stop staff performance stone dead. Either keep every promise you make or don’t make them. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Unfulfilled promises erode staff performance.

7. “No Exceptions” Statements

Do you ever use the expression “no exceptions”? Do you ensure that subsequent events prove that you meant it? Do you include yourself among the people to whom “no exception” applies? Even when you use it, do you allow “minor” exceptions for “good reasons”? Need I say more?

Too Trivial?

There are more serious impediments to staff performance than those I’ve mentioned. But it’s the “little day to day things” that undo you. You can have all the “big stuff” in place but it can be undermined by small details. Failure to “cross the t’s and dot the i’s” means that they’re just vertical lines.

Conclusion

Be consistent. Be insistent. Consult with staff about changes. Consider consequences. Remember the “big picture”. And remember, staff have a different perspective. Practice what you preach. Lead by example.

What To Do Next

Look through the list of “deadly sins”. Which limit you? They’re all within your power to change and control. And write down this little statement in some place where you’ll need it every day. “Management applies many more constraints than it grants privileges.”