Managing For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Chapter 18. Employee Discipline for Improving Performance

In This Chapter

• Disciplining your employees

• Eyeing performance

• Following the twin tracks of discipline

• Writing a script

• Developing an improvement plan

• Putting an improvement plan into action

Wouldn't it be nice to have all your employees always carrying out their tasks perfectly? Wouldn't it be nice to have them all love the organization as much as you do? Winning the lottery would be nice, too, but don't quit your day job just yet.

The fact is, your employees will make mistakes, and some of them will exhibit attitudes that don't reflect well on themselves, their department, or their company. Every organization has employees (and managers) who exhibit varying degrees of these behaviors, but don't worry too much about it. No one is perfect. However, when your employees make repeated, serious mistakes; when they fail to meet their performance goals and standards; or when it seems that they'd rather be working somewhere else (anywhere but where they are now!) and they prove that by ignoring company policies, you have to take action to stop the offending behaviors — immediately and decisively.

When employees aren't performing up to standard, or when they allow a poor attitude to overcome their ability to pull with the rest of the team, these employees cost your organization more than do the employees who are working at or above standard and pulling their share of the load. Poor performance and poor attitudes directly and negatively affect ...