How to Stop Your Employees Coasting
By Vanessa Richardson
One of the most challenging tasks leaders can be faced with is managing a burnt out, exhausted, or disgruntled employee who no longer has it in them to perform beyond the bare minimum. They will do just enough to stay employed but do not seek to grow professionally nor do they contribute at the rate of others. They may exhibit a general lack of enthusiasm and seem to put forth more effort into getting out of work rather than just actually working.
In the article “How to Stop Your Employees ‘Coasting’” at Work’ by Peter Done, Forbes; details the warning signs organizations may observe in an employee who is operating at minimum effort. These may include poor interaction with colleagues, failure to participate in discussions, negativity, including appearing bored and unengaged with company initiatives.
Failure to take action can and almost always does have a negative impact on the rest of the team. Others can become unmotivated in putting in the extra effort viewing it as pointless and going unnoticed. In other words, if it is not acknowledged what would be the point? In the long run this may lead to a short tenure which inevitably costs the organization valuable time and money. So what can managers do to halt this draining disengagement?
First, it is imperative to act proactively, recognizing that this employee may have an underlying personal or professional issue. Simply asking the question may reveal what is needed to remedy the situation. Training, review of processes, time – management counseling, as well as a few days off can all assist in both letting the employee know of the concern in a compassionate manner and let others know it has been addressed. However, regardless of the reason for the lackluster performance, any employee experiencing a slump in productivity deserves the respect of a useful and constructive performance review. Providing employees time (in writing) to prepare and to work positively towards addressing the issues can help to circumvent these issues from becoming more cumbersome. The evaluation should allow the employee to be self-reflective as well as take an active role in their own assessment.
In addition to focusing on individuals, the review of how effective your management team is at encouraging extra effort from their team is crucial. The culture that currently exists may have been inherited, thus it is important to ensure managers are putting forth the effort they themselves expect. Enthusiasm, encouragement, and constructive feedback are all basic components to keeping positive engagement. Lastly, remember recognition of both individuals and as well as groups will not only help your team feel valued but it will encourage positive engagement. Appreciation and acknowledgement can move a mountain.
This link will take you to the original article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdone/2018/12/06/how-to-stop-your-employees-coasting-at-work/#467a285e6d08
Integrated People Solutions is an executive placement firm in Denver, Colorado, and is part of the Kennedy Executive Network
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