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Typical administrative questions about POSITIVE PERFORMANCE® Management for those who want more detail
What is expected from supervisors and managers under PPM?
Managers and supervisors are expected to act as coaches, rather than cops, with the installation of POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management. That means spending more time helping individuals and teams succeed rather than looking over their shoulders to catch them doing something wrong. Managers and supervisors go through an extensive training program as part of this process. They are expected to use what they have learned and continually refine their skills.
What is expected from employees under PPM?
Employees are expected to constantly do their best to meet customer needs. That means giving 100% each day, being willing to learn new skills and grow, and taking individual ownership for the results they achieve and the way they achieve them. When problems do occur, employees are expected to take responsibility for their own success and solve them quickly and permanently when brought to their attention. Employees are also expected to let the organization know how it is doing at mastering the concepts of PPM.
What are the components of POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management?
There are three major components --- coaching, counseling, and corrective action/formal discipline. Coaching includes developmental aspects of performance including setting performance goals, removing barriers, providing recognition, ensuring necessary knowledge and skills, and providing regular feedback. Counseling is an informal problem solving discussion designed to help the individual take responsibility and head off a performance issue before it becomes serious. Corrective Action is a formal process for addressing problems. It meets all the standards of progressive discipline that courts and third parties look for to ensure fairness and consistency.
What are the levels of Corrective Action?
There are three --- First Level Notice, Second Level Notice, and Third Level Notice. POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management abandons terms such as warning and reprimand in favor of the term Notice. The Third Level Notice includes a Decision Making Day. The Decision Making Day is a one-day paid leave. On that day, the employee must decide to return to work and meet all expectations of the job or resign. There are numerous administrative details and questions that must be addressed by your organization surrounding corrective action. Those decisions take place in the design phase of the project.
Why isn't Counseling a level of formal discipline?
Counseling is a nondisciplinary conversation between a supervisor and employee to resolve a performance problem before disciplinary action is required. It is intended as a problem-solving discussion. Employees typically may choose to have representation at counseling sessions if it is requested under the terms of the Weingarten ruling.
Is there really any difference between the use of the term Notice and Warning?
They are administratively very similar. The difference lies in the intent. Warnings have a negative connotation of someone doing something to someone else. We believe that the term notice is more accurate and in keeping with our philosophy that once adults are notified of a need to improve they will take responsibility for their performance and make the necessary changes.
Will employees be treated differently under PPM?
That depends. POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management abandons the use of punishment to correct poor performance and misbehavior and replaces it with mature problem-solving techniques. In that regard, no one will be treated worse. You should experience some positive changes from your supervisors and managers as a result of adopting POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management, however. They are expected to spend more time encouraging and developing good performance, helping individuals and teams identify and overcome barriers to achieving results and providing specific, results oriented feedback. And, they are expected to approach performance problems in a mature, professional manner when they do arise. This usually means that employees will be treated differently, in most cases, for the better.
Is this a faster way to get rid of people?
No. POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management does have a component of formal discipline/corrective action. Your organization has an obligation to the many good people who work here to address performance problems quickly. PPM, however, emphasizes problem-solving, counseling, and individual ownership for results and relationships. The System focuses on supervisors and employees working together to head off or resolve problems. The need to improve will be brought to the individuals' attention more often and effectively. The ultimate decision to improve, however, will be theirs. The formal levels of discipline are intended as a tool to help people keep their jobs, not lose them.
How are upgrades, transfers, and promotions handled when an employee is on an active level of discipline?
There are many decisions that each organization makes when adopting POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management. This is one of them. Transfer, for instance, may be appropriate to assist the organization in resolving a performance problem and saving a valuable employee. Our responsibility during the design phase of the project is to help you identify issues like this one, provide history about the experience of other organizations, and assist you in developing the answer that is right for you.
Do individuals have performance goals under PPM?
In most cases, the answer is yes. But, consideration must be given to the other systems in place in your organization. This is another issue that is determined in the design phase of the project.
How is the annual performance appraisal process handled with PPM?
There are several options for addressing this issue. One is to do away with the annual performance appraisal process and implement a performance development process that creates specific performance goals and provides regular feedback. Some organizations set goals and provide feedback quarterly. The quarterly results are then used to determine salary increases.
Another option is to fold PPM into your existing performance appraisal process. Many groups have decided that this is the best way for their organization. The final option is to develop a new performance appraisal process with the implementation of PPM.
Are there situations where immediate termination is warranted?
Yes. Major offenses such as theft and reporting to work unfit for duty are usually included, but again, we work with you to review and determine the best answer for your organization.
How many other issues are determined in the design phase of the project?
Lots. In fact, we've identified over 100 different policy, guideline, communication, and measurement issues that must be considered. Some will be very easy to address. Others are quite challenging. The list includes issues such as:
- How do we link individual goals with the organization's strategic goals?
- How do we transition from our existing process to PPM?
- How do we ensure regular coaching and recognition?
- What are the active periods for formal discipline levels and what happens when they deactivate?
- Are there special types of recognition that we should consider?
- What are the approval levels for action?
- How will we communicate this change to employees?
- What results should we measure to prove that PPM makes a difference?
There are very few issues that have not been seen and addressed. For particularly challenging questions, we engage the assistance of our legal experts. You receive implementation resources to help you identify the questions and best practices samples we have gathered in our 18 years of experience.
Will PPM mean that every performance problem will be treated exactly the same?
POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management stresses doing what is right based on the facts. If the facts are basically equal, then it is reasonable to expect the response to be similar or the same. The goal in corrective action is to balance fairness and consistency in the handling of every performance problem. Also, there may be some differences in the way supervisors deal with a performance issue, especially in the early stages. POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management provides consistency in the System's administration and ensures that every problem is dealt with in a manner that balances the needs of the organization with the interests of the individual.
Why are there so many administrative questions about corrective action? I thought this was a process for developing people?
Litigation is a fact of life for today's organization. There are a number of rules and requirements surrounding the area of corrective action and termination. Many are covered under Federal law. Others vary by state. And all are designed to provide the employee varying levels of protection from losing their job.
Very few managers or organizations are sued, however, for giving people sincere recognition for their good work, establishing solid working relationships build on mutual respect, or actively assisting individuals in meeting career goals. POSITIVE PERFORMANCE Management emphasizes the importance of relationships, and our clients develop procedures, guidelines, and expectations around the issues of coaching, employee development, and recognition. We know that PPM's long-term value comes from these activities. But we also believe that it is irresponsible to sacrifice your organization's defensibility.
What should I do next?
That's simple. Contact us by phone or email and let us know how we can help your organization achieve extraordinary results by promoting individual responsibility and strong relationships.
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