Improve Employee Performance Idea 114 – May 14, 2010: Reinforce Positive Performance

When employees do something right, it is important to let them know that you know what they did.  Why?  Because you will want your employees to “repeat” that behavior.  And you have a greater likelihood of getting a repeat performance if you recognize it.

Just remember to make your reinforcement meaningful.  How?  By making sure you explain the IMPACT of the performance.  For example:

Tell the employee what they did right and how it positively affected…

• You
• The team
• An individual coworker
• Goals
• Etc.

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.
_____________
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.