What Kind of Problem Is It?  

Well hello there and Happy Monday! I’m Monica Wofford and this is your Monday Moment.

It’s no fun talking about performance problems, but it’s bound to happen so as leaders we have to be prepared to address them. Remember though, performance problems addressed early tend to stay small. Ignore them and they get bigger.

It’s a bit like telling a kid at Christmas, alllll the things he or she did wrong over Easter. That’s not effective behavior reinforcement. Equally ineffective is addressing the wrong problem. The question to ask yourself as a leader, is do you have a team member with an Attitude, Behavior, or Performance Problem.

What’s the difference?

A Performance problem is when the toy doesn’t work. Batteries got left out or the engine has a malfunction. In employees, this is often resolved with reminders and a bit of skill development.

A behavior problem is when the remote control toy goes left when you press the lever to make it go in the right direction. People who know when work starts who consistently show up after the time you said to get there are showing bad behavior and poor decision making. This is often resolved with consequences.

And an attitude problem is when the toy you thought you took the batteries out of, keeps talking. Haha. Attitude issues are the most challenging because we don’t control other people. So when a team member talks back, is rude, bullying, unprofessional or does things outside your code of conduct, swift consequences are important, though this type of conversation is by far the most difficult. But, more on that in future Monday Moments… 

I’m Monica Wofford and let’s keep talking… leadership.