By Brandon Hess, CVPM, CCFP

“Document, document, document”; this was something that was drilled into my head as a young manager, and that I have subsequently drilled into the heads of managers that have worked for me. There are many reasons for this, from clear communication with the employee, to protecting the practice if a terminated employee files for unemployment. When I coach managers on providing a development plan to an employee, I like to break it down into 3 areas: preparing for the conversation, the documentation, and follow through.

Preparing for the Conversation

When you identify an issue, it’s important to gather all of the facts before going into the conversation. One pitfall that some managers fall into, especially with difficult employees, is overthinking what will happen. Don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what you will say, and what their response will be to it. Have some key talking points (also could be on your documentation), and plan on listening more than talking. This is another pitfall that managers fall into. Always remember “less is more”. Start the conversation, ask an open-ended question, and let them take it from there. As you are organizing your thoughts for the development plan, also remember the “less is more” motto. The more detail, or examples you provide, the more the employee has to pick the details apart. Keep it high-level, and to the point.

Documentation

I prefer to keep the development plan on one page if at all possible. I also don’t like to let the employee read over it, until our conversation is over. If I did my job, the documentation should be a review of the conversation we just had. On the actual documentation, consider having the following categories:

• Historical Issues/Discussions: Have you discussed (formally, or informally) this with the employee before? If so, put the dates in this section. This further supports that there have been coaching opportunities before.
• What the Issue is: What policy did they disobey, or what expectation did they not meet? Remember, keep this high-level and to the point.
• What is expected to change: This is what most unemployment offices will want to see. What efforts were made to inform, and coach the employee? Identify what needs to be corrected immediately, and any support that will be provided to the employee to make the correction.
• What will occur if it doesn’t: Set the expectation for further discussions of this nature. What can the employee expect if another discussion occurs? If they are on thin ice, I always like to include “Additional discussion of this nature will result in ___________, up to and including termination.” By keeping it open-ended like this, you are not “pigeon-holing” yourself into just one disciplinary action.

Follow-Through

Set an expectation that follow-up will occur to check in with the team member. By doing this, you are further driving accountability. It doesn’t have to be the following week, or even within the month. The point is to set an expectation for follow-up, and make sure the employee has what they need to be successful in making the changes.

I always like to have the employee sign their development plan, and have rarely had someone refuse to do so. If they refuse, simply write “refused to sign” on the documentation, and it doesn’t change the conversation that happened or the expectations moving forward. These can be uncomfortable conversations, but they are essential to a healthy practice culture.