Analyzing a performance problem, manager tend to miss the obvious and make the entire situation much more complicated than necessary

QUESTION : Has the desired behaviour even been performed before?

It is easy to assume that employees could perform a certain job if they wanted to, but a manager cannot be sure that employees have the appropriate ability and skill unless they have done it before. Employees who have not fully met the goal before they require training.

However if the job has' been done before, but performance is now slipping, incentives or rewards are the problem.

How can a manager determine whether it is lack of skills or lack of incentive at the root of a performance problem? It may be necessary to ask previous supervisors or to investigate previous performance information.

QUESTION : Is adequate cooperation being received, and are the necessary tools and equipment present?

We discussed the question of adequate cooperation and equipment earlier when presenting the model, but it is easy to overlook this concern. When analyzing a performance problem, manager tend to miss the obvious and make the entire situation much more complicated than necessary.

Listening may be particularly critical when attempting to determine if lack of cooperation or an equipment shortage is a problem. Employees will often blame poor performance on a lack of cooperation or equipment

because they are easy excuses. Interactive listening to both the subordinates and other key employees helps a manager to determine if employees are making xcuses or if these are the real cause of the performance problem.

If the fn'st five questions do not resolve the problem, a manager needs to move on to the next question. After asking each of these questions in a sequential manner. a manager can be sure that the motivational model has been applied in a systematic manner in the attempt to
understand a performance problem.

QUESTION : Are the employees being rewarded for satisfactory performance?

The question of adequate reward for satisfactory performance actually invol:ves three different questions:
(1) Are rewards being received for performance?
(2) Can employees see the relationship between performance and rewards? and
(3) Is there a possibility that penalties are received for performance?

We discussed the first and second questions when presenting the model; we focus here on the third: Are employees receiving a penalty or rewards? Each week the production supervisors were required to fill out the timesheets for all their employees, but their carelessness resulted in many payroll en-ors. In fact, the supervisors were making so many en-ors that payroll had to add a clerk just to COl1'ect the el1'0rs. The production manager wrote a memo to all the supervisors about the importance of the timesheets, but this did little good. When the payroll manager again confronted the production manager about the problem, the production manager said that the supervisors simply disliked paperwork and there probably wasn't any way to motivate them to do it.

A quick analysis revealed that there was no reason for the supervisors to complete the timesheets accurately. In fact, they would be penalized for doing so. They submitted time sheets on Friday afternoons, a busy production time for the superviors. If the supervisors went through the time sheets quickl)(. they saved time and the payroll department would cOl1'ecttbe el1'0rs anyway. In other words, they were penalized for pelfonning in the manner requested of them. Once the supervisors learned payroll would no longer correct the el1'0rs, they turned in the time sheets en'or free. What supervisor wants to meet an employee who does not receive pay for the total number of homs worked?