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What About Bob?
Dealing with Performance and Personality Issues
In the movie, "What about Bob?" Bill Murray plays a loveable but annoying neurotic who makes life quite difficult for his psychiatrist, Richard Dreyfuss. The irony of the movie is that everyone enjoys Bob despite the many issues he has. In business, it is not uncommon to have similar challenges: how to handle or manage a well-liked employee who is a performance nightmare. The other extreme, a terrific performer who is high maintenance can be just as challenging.
In either circumstance, how a business handles these situations speaks volumes about their culture. The implications of taking action can have far reaching effects on morale not to mention the potential for unwanted legal action. Let's look at the first situation.
Well Liked But Poor Performer
Some employees feel that as long as they are well liked and an integral part of the organization, mediocre performance will be overlooked. "They would never fire me, I'm too nice of a guy" makes confronting the employee quite a challenge. We suggest an approach that:
- Acknowledges the value that the employee has to the company which is why addressing the performance deficiencies is so important.
- Makes sure that the employee understands why they are not meeting expectations. Those expectations must be as specific as possible with clear examples. Business is about achieving results; it is not a popularity contest.
- Recognizes that while an individual's performance should be kept confidential, there are ways to let others know that everything is being done to address issues in a fair and supportive manner.
It is most important to address issues sooner than later. Avoiding the topic will only reinforce that it's OK to perform poorly if you are well liked and generally a nice person.
Difficult Personality But Strong Performer
The second scenario is actually more challenging. When an individual is an exceptional performer but extremely difficult to deal with, the business implications of addressing the issue can be quite serious. We are all familiar with the conflict that occurred last year between Terrell Owens and The Philadelphia Eagles. Mr. Owens may have been an outstanding performer on the field but he crossed the line in terms of how he impacted the overall performance of the team. Many high performing individuals seem to know just where that line is and avoid going a bit too far. However, the collateral damage that these employees cause can truly hurt your business. Therefore, we suggest that you:
- Make sure the employee understands that HOW things get done is just as important to the company as WHAT gets done.
- Ensure that the behaviors that are causing the problem are clearly understood by the employee. Have specific examples to help them understand how they are viewed by others.
- Consider professional individual coaching specializing in modifying unwanted behavior in the workplace. In some cases, continued employment could be predicated on getting this help.
Finally, it is up to management to set the bar in terms of what will be tolerated and what won't. If things have gotten a bit out-of-control in your company, it will take some time to get things back on track. However, once you reestablish the importance of both performance and behavior in the workplace, it will be much easier to address problems before they get out of hand.
Robert Rosend is President of the HR Outsourcing Division at TWC Group. To learn more about the ways to deal with Bob, contact Robert at 610-635-0101 x158 or rrosend@twcgroup.com.
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Does Your Insurance Need an Annual Check-up?
We all know the importance of getting an annual physical. After all, catching something early can save money and maybe even your life. With insurance, it's almost the same in that it has to be properly managed in order to maximize the benefits you are paying for.
No matter what size business you are in, it's critical to review all of your policies at least once a year for both coverage and price. However, benefits insurance (health, life and disability) should be examined separately from other types (P & C, Liability etc.) mainly to ensure you have the proper coverage for your company's demographics. As a first step, meet with your broker (this is way too important for a phone call!). Have them carefully review your coverage and ask for recommendations for changes that could save money and improve plan provisions. Really astute executives then go out and get a second opinion to ensure they have the best information possible. Your goal should be to stay on top of changes and new product offerings that may have come to market since your last open enrollment.
Keep in mind you can do these assessments throughout the year so that it doesn't become too time consuming. Most important is to involve your broker from the onset as that is a big part of their job. If they appear reluctant, then maybe it's time for a new one. TWC Group can help you find and assess a good broker for all of your insurance needs. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Anthony Cellucci is Managing Partner at The Beacon Group. The Beacon Group provides brokering and consulting services in the areas of health insurance, business insurance and corporate retirement planning. For more information, please contact Anthony at 484-684-1118 or anthonyc@thebeacongrp.com.
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The Changing Face of Recruiting
The race to find talent at companies is back in full swing after the economic slowdown in the early part of decade. Companies are hiring again and candidates feel confident to look for new opportunities. However, recruiters are finding that the old methods of just posting positions on the Internet is not resulting in the quality of candidates that may have been produced in the past. This is because the most highly sought-after "passive candidates" do not have the time or the inclination to be trolling through job postings on the boards. Recruiters who solely rely on this method of recruiting (or still run newspaper ads) will never be able to attract the right quality and quantity of talent.
Companies that are on the leading edge of recruiting in today's market rely of what is known in recruiting circles as "creative sourcing." Creative sourcing is all about identifying who the top talent is and then approaching that talent either through a trusted source or simply a cold call. This form of sourcing has always been around but is more difficult and time consuming. However, creative sourcing generally yields the best quality candidates. Many recruiters fall into the trap of only using the Internet boards to find candidates because it is the easy way out.
Creative sourcing is aided in today's recruiting world by networking sites like LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is not set up as a recruiting site, it permits a recruiter to connect with a potential candidate either directly because that candidate is part of the recruiter's LinkedIn network or the recruiter can connect to the candidate through a trusted source in the recruiter's networks.
Connecting to candidates through creative sourcing is the key to successful recruiting in today's market. Companies that do not use creative sourcing as part of their overall recruiting strategy will most likely be disappointed with the results of their effort.
Michael Sweeny is Vice President of NextStage Capital Recruitment Services at TWC Group. To learn more about how creative sourcing can expand your recruiting circle, contact Mike at 610-635-0101 x127 or msweeny@twcgroup.com.
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