Performance Coaching Outperforms Progressive Discipline

(From Fast Company) At many organizations, the "progressive discipline" policy is traditionally used to deal with employee behavior and performance problems, yet employers find that punishment rarely enacts long-term change. An effective alternative to progressive discipline is performance coaching, according to Sue Bingham, founder of HPWP Group. Rather than being punitive and threatening, organizations would do well to apply a problem-solving approach to employee behavior and performance problems. Coaching works by building relationships and creating growth to solve a problem. Here are a few key elements to performance coaching in the workplace:

• Start the conversation. When entering into a conversation about an employee's performance, maintain respectfulness throughout, plan the language you'll use and the details of the situation that need to be addressed so that your employee understands the big picture.
• Probe for causes. A mindset of curiosity should guide probing questions meant to get to the root of the problem. Ask questions like, "What's causing this? What's getting in your way? What's going on?"
• Facilitate resolutions. Once you've identified the root cause, ask how the team member will work to develop a solution. End with a statement of confidence in the employee's ability to correct the problem.

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