Are you working with an employee whose behavior is so frustrating that it’s triggering grinding your own teeth at night?
Have you resorted to threats? “If you keep this up, I’ll write you up!”
But you don’t want employees to grudgingly comply simply to avoid your wrath. Wouldn’t it be better to have performance conversations where employees feel motivated to change because they see the consequences of their current behavior and the benefits of the new behavior?
It would be great to have invested employees who want to do the right things. But some employees aren’t that motivated. Their energy is more invested in their own well-being. So, meet these employees where they’re at and leverage two internal motivators that most people care about: their reputation and their relationships. (If your employee doesn’t care about these things, then you have a bigger problem!)
The purpose of the performance conversation is to provide feedback so that the employee realizes that their current behavior negatively impacts their relationships and reputation in the practice. It’s then their decision to change.
Here’s an example opening statement from a dentist to employee:
| Laura, we’re talking today because I’m concerned about how your actions and communication style are affecting your relationships with your colleagues and with me. I suspect you might not be aware of how you’re being perceived and the damage it’s doing to your reputation. For example, when you roll your eyes, gossip and complain, it gives the impression that you don’t respect or like others. This leads your colleagues to believe they can’t trust or rely on you. When they ask for help and you appear annoyed, then in future they are not going to want to help you out either. Is this truly the relationship and reputation you want to have in our practice? Would you be open to changing how you communicate so that you can be seen as the reliable professional I know you want to be?” |
