I had an employee who kept making mistakes and was reaching late to work everyday.
His Supervisor said she had tried everything. He was put on PIP but no improvement.Instead of firing him, I sat down with him to talk.It was apparent he was at a very low point. He was going through a divorce, custody battle and was facing financial problems. He felt he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Asking for help wasn't one of his main skills.
I recommended him for counseling and sent him on leave so he could get it together.
When he returned, he went from being one of the most difficult employees to one of the most positive influences in the workplace.
Managers please use the human-to-human approach when dealing with employees. Get to know your people, meet them where they are and be flexible.It's a person you are dealing with and not just a statistic on a graph.
My experience is that there are few bad employees but there are many “bad bosses” who lack people skills and are quick to cross people off.
Agree?
