How to deal with disappointing employees

After submitting to the executive decision, I have invested in said individual with the expectation that the skills demonstrated during the pre-employment stages are utilised. I’m sure that many business owners have been subjected to the stinger that the expectations are far from being met. Here’s how it goes:

Month 1: Getting to know the business: Of course, the expectation is not that the employee who demonstrated superior skill throughout pre-employment will instantaneously improve business strategies. They would be supported by any means necessary in order to grasp current internal functionality that business processes serve. Ultimately the first month should be reserved for studying the business mechanism in its entirety; deep comprehension is a non-negotiable necessity for any employee with a thirst for the reward of results. But what if little research has been done regarding current business strategies? Despite stringent support and assistance, some employees still fail to grasp the primary foundation to building a successful work ethic.

Month 2: Laying down the plans: At the second stage there would be a clear divide between the proactive and the complacent. The proactive will have a steady foundation that will allow an undergrowth of stable business innovation; the complacent have no grounds in order to secure any convincing business strategy and are thus less likely to be implemented or taken seriously.

Month 3: Talking the talk: Until this point, most of the individual’s developments have been reliant on the personal commitment to knowledge. It is this exact commitment that lends itself to the success of strategy. It is now up to said individual to generate a convincing innovative business structure that promises results and further business success. Even at this stage it would be easy to be fooled by incompetence as no real conviction has been optimised.

Month 4: Implementing strategy: This is the window that ultimately exposes the good from the bad. A weak strategy and implementation process will only be “rewarded” with minor changes and minor wins. The inevitability of transparent weakness is paramount and it is one that isn’t likely to slide passed any results focused employer.

The realisation is that the expected “skills” have been abandoned at the interview and the business will suffer at the negligence of the individual who undervalued the necessity to study current business practice in Month 1.

Month 5: Talking more serious talk: After 5 months of seeing little results, there would have to be a business intervention. The intention here would be to address the results or lack-of, and strongly urge a review of strategy and the implementation methods.

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