If you have employees who constantly complain about “nasty” customers, use their specific complaints about customers to encourage better performance.  How?  First, determine WHY customers are “nasty.”  Is it because they did not receive the products or service they expected?   Or maybe the issue is something else. 

Whatever the cause, remember that customers’ behavior is precipitated by something.  Once you know WHY this is happening, explain to your employees that if they resolve customers’ issues, they won’t have to deal with “nasty” customers.  In other words, you link employee behaviors to customer behaviors.
When you have these conversations, be gentle.  And don’t just have a performance discussion.  Instead, wait for employees to complain, and then use those encounters as opportunities to create “learning moments” on how to enhance performance.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals.
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.

Do you have an employee who craves the limelight?  If so, instead of cringing at his or her desire for fame and recognition, use that desire to encourage greater cooperation or improved performance.  How?  By connecting opportunities for greater visibility to the performance you desire. 

For example, if you want the employee to take on a new project, explain the connection between the new project and the opportunity for interacting with the CEO, CFO, COO, or any other high profile employees.  Your limelight grabber will most likely jump at the chance to interact with these senior executives.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals.
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for

Do you have any employees who want to take on different tasks?  If so, why not use their interests as a way to encourage improved or continued performance. How?  Try these ways:

1. Explain how improving poor performance in one area is directly linked to the skills needed to take on a desired different task.

2. Explain how continuing outstanding performance in one area is directly linked to the skills needed to take on a desired different task.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals.
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for

You probably have goals for your office.  And most likely your employees all know what they are.  But do you really use those goals on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to motivate employees to do their best?  If not, try these three ideas:

1. Explain how the achievement of office goals might reduce the number of complaints they receive from upper management

2. Explain how the achievement of office goals might increase the number of compliments they receive from customers

3. Explain how the achievement of office goals might lead to greater recognition for individuals and teams

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals.
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.

So you have an employee who is not doing his or her best work and is always complaining as well.  Instead of groaning and cringing the next time you have a performance review with this employee, use the complaints to encourage improvement.  How?  First, think of the areas where you want the employee to improve, then link the complaint to the improvement.  Here are 3 examples:

1. Explain how “expediting customer requests” might result in improvements in the area the employee is complaining about.

2. Explain how “increasing productivity” might result in improvements in the area the employee is complaining about.

3. Explain how “reducing errors” might result in improvements in the area the employee is complaining about.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.

How do you distinguish between your good, better, and best managers?  One way is to examine how effective they are at Planning and Organizing.  Here are six ways you can make that determination:

1. Ability to formulate short-term plans.
2. Ability to carry out projects.
3. Ability to develop budgets.
4. Ability to determine optimal allocation and utilization of resources.
5. Ability to translate long-range plans into short-term operational goals.
6. Ability to recommend and develop policies and procedures.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.

The most effective managers are good at Supervising Employees.  But how do you measure effectiveness in supervision?  Try these five areas:

1. How effective managers are at identifying employees strengths and weaknesses.
2. How effective managers are at providing training for employees.
3. How effective managers are at developing skills of employees.
4. How effective managers are at scheduling work for employees.
5. How effective managers are at setting performance goals for employees.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.

If you want to encourage greater teamwork, you might want to identify some factors that motivate employees to work with team members. 

To identify these factors, first think about the needs/interests of your individual employees.  For instance, you might have some employees who feel insecure making decisions alone.  Since teamwork offers the opportunity for joint decision-making, explain the positive benefits of teamwork from this perspective.

The key is to know what motivates your employees; then focus on the one or two aspects of teamwork that might match their needs/interests.

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net

So you want your employees to take greater personal responsibility for correcting mistakes.  Why not make a connection between personal responsibility and greater autonomy.  How?  Try this idea:

Focus on Greater Control of the Solution:  When employees don’t take personal responsibility for correcting mistakes, you or someone else has to be the initiator for making sure the correction is made. This means that the employee loses control of his or her ability to decide on a solution as well as when and how it will be implemented.

So the next time you have an employee who wants to let someone else “fix the problem,” explain the connection between correcting mistakes and greater autonomy (or less micro-management).

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.

If you want to link employee performance to workplace goals, you need to know what employees know.  That is, you cannot link performance to the achievement of a goal that employees do not even know is a goal!  So how can you determine what employees know?  These 4 questions should give you some ideas:

1. What do my employees know about productivity or quality goals for the team where they work?

2. What do my employees know about productivity or quality goals for our immediate office?

3. What do my employees know about delivery goals for their customers?

4. What do my employees know about financial goals for our entire company?

KEY REMINDER:  To improve employee performance, you have to conduct effective performance discussions, give effective performance feedback, reinforce employee performance, and use effective performance phrases to write effective performance appraisals. 
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Barbara Brown, Ph.D. shows managers how to improve employee performance by linking performance to results. She publishes handbooks that contain phrases for discussing performance and for writing appraisals. Dr. Brown also provides training and consulting. Visit www.LinkToResults.net.