There’s nothing quite like an untrained manager’s documentation. Yesterday’s Advisor presented attorney Allison West’s first four principles of “bulletproof documentation.” Today, we’ll see steps 5 through 7 of the bulletproofing process, and take a look at a unique new training program.
West shared her seven principles for bulletproof documentation during a recent BLR® audio conference. West is a principal with Employment Practices Specialists in Pacifica, California.
(Review steps 1 through 4.)
Bulletproofing Step #5—Describe the Consequences if the Unacceptable Behavior or Poor Performance Continues
In describing consequences, be clear and direct. Here, says West, are examples of what not to say:
“You know what will happen if you don’t turn things around.”
“Remember what happened to Bob?”
“The end may not be that far for you if we don’t see an improvement.”
“Think about updating your résumé.”
“Your days are numbered.”
Putting these things in your documentation is inappropriate, West says. It panics employees without clarifying the rules.
Use the phrase “up to and including termination” deliberately and sparingly, West says. Say an employee is having a performance issue. Don’t suggest termination (that just makes the employee paranoid) unless you think it’s the right message for the employee, West says.
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Bulletproofing Step #6—Set Forth Time Expectations for Correcting Behavior or Performance
Again, be specific, says West. Don’t use these:
“We expect you to turn things around immediately.” Immediately might mean something different to different people.
“As soon as possible.” That means today to you, but another person could think it means in a few days.
“I’ll be watching you and will let you know if things improve to my satisfaction.” What a way to torture an employee, West says.
Establish realistic time expectations and lay them out specifically for the employee. Be aware that if you create an exact timetable, you will need to act on it. If you say you will follow up in 30 days and then you don’t, the employee will assume “I am perfect unless told otherwise.”
Bulletproofing Step #7—Describe the Nature and Extent of the Follow-Up
Be specific, says West. Tell the employee what part of the performance you will be reviewing, and note the specific improvements that are expected.
Mention any additional training that the employee will receive.
Lay it all out so that there will be no surprises, West says.
How about your supervisors and managers? All trained on documentation? How about harassment, ADA and accommodation, FMLA, and a dozen other critical issues? How about just basic hiring and firing? Your managers are doing all those things, but the question is, are they doing them right?
If you’re not sure, it’s time for training. But training’s a hassle—authorizing, planning, delivering, tracking—it’s easy to let this critical priority slip.
Fortunately, there’s good news — BLR has created a unique and helpful solution called the BLR Employee Training Center.
And it couldn’t be easier—this turnkey service requires no setup, no course development time, no software installation, and no new hardware. Your employees can self-register, and training can be taken anytime (24/7), anywhere with nothing but a PC and an Internet connection. Courses take only about 30 minutes to complete.
No time to prepare or deliver training? With the BLR Employee Training Center, your employees can start taking essential training courses the same day you sign up. Workers (and supervisors) train at their convenience, 24/7. We track, and you save with this turnkey solution. If you didn’t think it could be this simple, take a look.
Just as important, the BLR Employee Training Center automatically documents training. As trainees sign on, their identifications are automatically registered. When the program is completed, the trainee’s score is entered. So, when you want to see who has or hasn’t yet trained on any subject, or look at the across-the-board activity of any one employee, it’s all there, instantly available to you, your boss, an inspector—even a plaintiff’s attorney.
Unlimited Training That Won’t Bust the Budget
Best of all, in these budget-crunching times, the BLR Employee Training Center costs only a fraction of what you would pay for a learning management system (LMS). You always know exactly what training will cost, no matter how many programs you use or how many times you use them. There’s just one low annual fee—for unlimited training—calculated by the size of your workforce. Budget once and you’re done!
These are all motivational, actionable courses—for both employees and supervisors—in such key areas as sexual harassment, FMLA, diversity, communication, USERRA, recruiting, and many more. The courses are kept up to date to reflect regulatory changes, and, what’s more, BLR adds new programs continually.
Course certificates can be automatically generated from within the training center, and are automatically retained for record-keeping purposes.
The BLR Employee Training Center also includes a selection of safety courses—you decide whether you want just the HR courses, the safety courses, or both HR and safety.
If it sounds like we’re excited about this new service, well, we are—and so is the Software & Information Industry Association, which just voted the BLR Employee Training Center the “Best Workforce Training Solution.” Find out what all the buzz is about—sign up for a no-obligation trial.
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