Dealing with mistakes/unmet expectations
How should I as a manager react? What is an appropriate reaction?
Failure to react or delayed reactions leads to tacit contracts. The staff member learns that the results behaviour is okay. The manager expects the staff member to read his mind: As a good member of staff he should know himself that that does not meet my expectations.
Overreactions, e.g. to individual results will be directly related to skills, potentials and even attitudes. Without sufficient opportunities to adjust and learn conclusions are drawn, all staff members become unsure of themselves, the quality of the relationship and motivation are endangered.
The confrontation staircase shows different behaviour options for dealing with mistakes and unmet expectations:
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Stage 7
Legal level:
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Official warning criteria are not met
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Dismissal
If required offer outsourcing advice
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Stage 6
Employment law level
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Pattern remains unchanged
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Official warning process
There is a basic inability or unwillingness to do the work. Possible therapy required (in cases of inability to cope, addiction, worklife balance etc)
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Stage 5
Identity level
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Pattern remains unchanged
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Change tasks,
Personality traits cannot be changed. Profile does not match task, if necessary involve the workers‘ council at this point
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Stage 4
Strengths/
weaknesses
level
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Pattern
remains unchanged
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Coaching
Particularly marked strengths lead to incompatibilities or limited beliefs about oneself, task, framework or company hinder learning
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Stage 3
Capacities level
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Type of error remains unchanged
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Development feedback:
The points of behaviour and results observed given an outline of capacities. Feedback and agreement about the development process including milestones and possible support: mental, seminar, training. E.g. investigate agreed learning objectives, work method.
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Stage 2
Behaviour level
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Similar mistakes are repeated
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Feedback on behaviour, alter delegation style:
Formulate objective agreements more concretely, reduced size of delegation packages (situation or leadership dependent on degree of maturity of staff member). Use feedback rules: clear separation of perception and interpretation/assumption.
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Stage 1
Results level
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Expectation is not fulfilled
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Express expectation differently
The first assumption when errors occur should be that I as a manager have not been successful in formulating my own expectations.
Get to the bottom of assumptions about the causes of the error: had other expectations about quality, quantity, time factor?, Required resources unavailable or mistake/lack of concentration? Silence/non-reaction leads to tacit agreement/acceptance.
Does the error justify further action? Was significance not high enough? Repetition is not expected.
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