Solving Employee Performance Issues
Every day good managers try to solve performance issues with their team. They work to increase productivity and minimize problems. While the skills and experience of these managers may vary, each is dedicated to getting the necessary results. Many of our clients purchased the BestWork DATA system for hiring and talent selection. Quite a few of those clients do not realize that their program included powerful tools for talent management. Most assessment products have limited use after a hiring decision is made. However, BestWork DATA is not an assessment but a set of performance information that is the foundation for how every employee thinks, learns and behaves. It explains much of why success happens and why problems occur. The DATA for each person that has completed BestWork DATA is available for you. We have clients who use DATA in the day-to-day management of their teams. This short article is to introduce you to some of the performance management capabilities in the BestWork DATA program you already have. Pieces of it are pulled from a book I am currently writing, Managing With the Lights On. I believe you will find some profitable spotlights that will be useful to you and your management team.
Knowing the Cause
Whenever a problem is identified, the first step toward a solution is to understand the cause of the problem. If the only information at hand is subjective, the best managers can only compare it to their past experience. Unfortunately, the solution that worked then may not be as effective with different people and different circumstances. When that approach fails, too often managers turn to whatever has been promoted in the latest business best seller. That book’s well-meant advice still does not know anything about the individuals in your company. What if the first place to look was the DATA about the actual person involved. The same solutions can still be applied, but with DATA, they can be more effectively focused to help each individual use their strengths to contribute to the company’s success.
Here are some common problems and the possible causes that can be determined with the BestWork DATA.
Cannot Close Sales
Tolerates Performance Problems
Doesn’t Follow Procedures
Difficulty Working with Others
BestWork DATA is not a magic solution to any of these issues, but it does put the time, energy and money in the right place to resolve the problems. The following section will explain exactly how to use BestWork DATA for talent management with the tools you probably already have in your BestWork DATA system.
Using the Job Report for Solving Performance Problems
The Job Report is the basic report in every BestWork DATA program. Each Job Report is written for a specific job. The various job behaviors that are needed for each job are categorized as Critical or Important. Critical job behaviors are absolutely essential to the successful performance of the job. Even lacking one of these would be enough to usually disqualify a candidate for that job. Important job behaviors impact the quality of job performance but are not Critical. The report describes how the individual is going to perform each one of the job behaviors. Reading the Job Report is the simplest way to understand any person’s job performance, their advantages and challenges with that job. Once the cause is known, there are generally many ways to support or correct the issues. The manager may want to explore other potential causes but this is a powerful starting point. Discussing the Job Report with the person can be extremely helpful.
There are also two specialty reports that can be added to any BestWork DATA menu: Sales Troubleshooter and Management Troubleshooter. Every salesperson, no matter how good they are, eventually has a slump. The Sales Troubleshooter calls out the most likely reasons for that. Similarly, when an effective manager is having difficulties, the Management Troubleshooter calls out the most likely reasons for that.
The proper use of BestWork DATA virtually eliminates bad hires. That same DATA has the potential to enable each person to get the most from their unique set of strengths and abilities.
About the author: Chuck Russell is a thought leader on applying behavioral data to business, educational and social challenges. For over 25 years, he has worked with companies of all kinds to optimize their talent acquisition and talent management practices with behavioral data. He has used that experience to design hundreds of applications enabling anyone to use information that previously required expert interpretation or specialized training. He is an international speaker on behavioral data analytics. His most recent book is No Bad Hires, Bad Hires Are Now Optional.
