Anne Bruce - Perfect Phrases for Documenting Employee Performance Problems

Other Books in the Perfect Phrases Series

Perfect Phrases for Cover Letters
by Michael Betrus

Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors
by Meryl Runion

Perfect Phrases for Customer Service
by Robert Bacal

Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews
by Douglas Max and Robert Bacal

Perfect Phrases for the Perfect Interview
by Carole Martin

Perfect Phrases for Resumes
by Michael Betrus

Perfect Phrases for Motivating
and Rewarding Employees
by Harriet Diamond and Linda Diamond

Copyright 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-176271-7
MHID: 0-07-176271-X

The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-145407-0, MHID: 0-07-145407-1.

All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps.

McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative please e-mail us at bulksales@mcgraw-hill.com.

TERMS OF USE

This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (McGraw-Hill) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hills prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms.

THE WORK IS PROVIDED AS IS. McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting there from. McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise.

I firmly believe in a quote I once read by Dr. Maya Angelou that seems to fit the greater purpose of this book. The quote goes like this: The area where we are the greatest is the area in which we inspire, encourage, and connect with another human being. For me, this seems to sum up the reason not only for this book on perfect phrases for documenting employee problems but for all of the books available in this Perfect Phrases series.

This book is a communications tool for managers and leaders everywherea fast, easy-to-reference, real-world field guide to making positive behavioral changes in the workplace through the identification of a wide variety of performance challenges and then getting to their concise and straightforward documentation. This is done through a process sometimes referred to as listing, or listmaniathe basic methods for crafting power phrases filled with short, focused expressions that are direct and to the point. Why is this process important? It is important because we live in a world with lots of rules, policies, and convoluted explanations explanations that no one can understand, let alone really and truly care about. On top of this, managers today are being faced with breakneck-speed requirements at which to manage and lead where fast and practical is the mantra and where ready-references for supervisors and managers at all levels is a much-needed and appreciated survival tool.

If youre a manager who wants to more effectively document performance issues and then follow up with helpful feedback, then this book is for you. Perfect Phrases for Documenting Performance Problems sets a positive and motivating example of how to document performance challenges in a quick, yet appropriate, written format. In addition, it offers reader-friendly tips and tools that I have gathered over decades of experience while working with the finest managers and leaders from some of the worlds top organizations. You will find that all of these techniques help promote individual growth and learning, as well as personal and professional development in a turn-of-the-century workplace filled with tough challenges that can befall anyone.

Therefore, I am providing for you here a simple-to-follow, specific format for this book that I believe most managers and leaders will find extremely helpful. It also can be used as an ongoing and continuous management tool and field guide when the going gets rough. It is my hope that this book will assist you, no matter at what level you work within your organization, to successfully navigate the sometimes turbulent waters of employee performance and productivity. We work in a time where performance issues and employee problems are often unique, exhausting, and more challenging than ever for todays manager. How you choose to equip yourself to handle these challenges is what will separate you from the flock and move you and your employees forward in a positive and evolving direction.

Im happy to know youll be taking this book with you on the journey.

Anne Bruce

Once you have written more than a half dozen books, your family and friends seem to get used to your being behind closed doors. Neighbors stop looking for you in the front yard, while delivery drivers from FedEx, UPS, and DHL just instinctively know to leave a few dog biscuits for the dogs and all packages on the doorstep.

If there were a book called Perfect Friends and Family, Id be the author. I have had so much support over these past 10 years since entering the publishing world. Everyone gets itAnnes writing another book. I especially acknowledge my wonderful husband, David W. Thomley, also a great writer and creative and talented photographer, for all of his love and ongoing encouragement. And from the warmest place in my heart, I give special appreciation and thanks to my loving and magnificent daughter, Autumn Kelly Bruce. Thank you for always being in my cheering gallery, no matter what. While writing this book, together we planned your wedding and through it all you never stopped reminding me of how proud you are of my writing and speaking career. And to my sister, Rose Marie Trammell, thank you a million times for all of the late-night conversations and words of wisdom that only a sister can provide. The graphics in this book would not have been possible without the design talents of my dear friend and colleague Elly Mixsell Shelswell-White. Thanks, Elly, for caring so much about my work and for always giving my seminar handouts and workbooks a creative and original flair!