Everyone wants to be a good boss — positive, supportive, and helpful for their valued employees. But there is a fine line between wanting an employee to succeed and giving them too many second chances. Sometimes, you’re too nice when you need to lay down the law a bit more. Because if you don’t, employees will start to take advantage of your good nature.
Are You Too Forgiving?
How many times have you asked yourself a question like this: “Why is Sam not performing like he/she used to? I’ve asked them countless times to meet their deadline for this project.”
If an employee continues to underperform and you don’t do anything about it, you’re too forgiving. And even worse, if you’ve asked them to correct their behavior multiple times and nothing is changing, you’re letting them walk all over you. It’s time to make a change and stop giving this employee second chances.
How Should You Address the Employee in Question?
First, ask yourself if you’ve been as direct and clear about your expectations to the employee as you need to be. Often, we’re not entirely clear on how serious a deadline or commitment is, and the employee knows we won’t follow up. If you think you haven’t been clear enough, take another crack at it. Tell the employee in plain language what you need from them, and give them a timeline then follow up on that. Say something like, “I need this report by the end of the day on Thursday. I’ll be checking on Thursday afternoon to see how you’re coming along.” That way, there’s no gray area for the employee to exploit.
How Can You Change in the Future?
If you see that you’re often too forgiving with employees, you can try and make some changes for the future, so the same kind of thing doesn’t keep happening. Here are a few tips:
- Set clear goals with timelines, and make your employees aware of them.
- Follow up with those employees on a regular basis.
- If the employee makes excuses for not meeting their requirements, don’t back down. Hold them to a high standard.
- When the employee does achieve what’s expected of them, praise them. Praise is often more powerful than a reprimand.
When you commit yourself to hold employees accountable, and not back down or give them “just one more chance,” you’ll get the best out of your team.
Are you looking for the top talent in your area to staff your business with? Call High Profile at 972-991-7900 or contact us online to find out how we can help.