Communication is key. We all know the score something goes wrong and continues to go wrong, but managers don’t have the time to investigate. Things then reach an unsatisfactory or unsustainable level where you wish to part ways. You want to skip the processes you have in place because it’s been going on too long. However, this can leave you open to multiple risks and may find yourself with the cost and stress of a tribunal!
How can you avoid this from happening?
Communication is key from the start. We feel your frustration, but there is a simple solution. By actively managing misconducts as they arise, it helps ensure you do not reach breaking points. Misconducts could include absence, performance or conflict between employees. Some employees will try and get away with it until someone talks to them about it. You can stop by having an informal conversation and clear communication by you, as the manager.
Its also fair. How would you feel if you were doing something wrong and did not know you were doing so? You then have the shock of being brought in for a disciplinary? Now to be clear, I am not talking about the chance takers. But the same rules apply to all scenarios.
As soon as you notice anything unsatisfactory, speak to your employees. Be clear and concise and set out expectations. There is nothing wrong with letting them know that if their performance doesn’t improve, you may seek further action. This way you are giving them the opportunity to improve. If they don’t, the next steps should come as no surprise. As the manager, think about the concerns you have. Is there anything you can offer them in terms of training and support? This is a fair approach to ensure you have done everything you can to try and help elevate the employee to the standards required. If they fail to do so, you can then launch an investigation and should there be the factual evidence to support it, begin the disciplinary process.
Not all problems will be solved by simply having that informal conversation. For the ones that will be rectified this way, you save yourself time and frustration. It also diminishes the need to complete investigations/disciplinary’s when the answer was clear, proactive communication with your employees to solve it. For the ones that don’t improve you have tackled it early and can begin to move through your internal processes giving further opportunities to improve or their exit from the business.
Remember that communication is key!