One of the human resource problems that I see most frequently in the kitchen and bath industry is that of the "problem employee."

In reality, though, many (perhaps most) of these problems wouldn't even exist if the business owners had developed job descriptions, did regular performance evaluations, had employee handbooks and did a better job of "managing" their employees. But because they don't have these tools in place, they can't identify and correct the problems.

"Problem" performance encompasses performance that doesn't meet established standards of output or quality, and/or behavior that's distracting or disruptive to the normal conduct of operations.

Trouble signs
What follows are some of the signs of a troubled worker:

• Sudden changes in behavior. (Theresa used to smile and laugh a lot, but she hasn't lately. What's up?)
• Preoccupation. (You talk to Scott and he doesn't seem to hear or pay attention. Is something
  bothering him?)
• Irritability. (Laura is short with everyone even customers. She was never like this before. What's causing the problem?)
• More Absences. (Bonnie had only missed two days of work in five years, but in the past three months she's missed six days. Was she sick, or is it something else?)
• Increased Fatigue. (Ken used to be a ball of fire, but now complains of being tired all the time. Is it physical, or is he worried about something?)
• Too Much Drinking. (Bill has been more jittery than ever before, and you think you've smelled alcohol on his breath several times. What's going on?)
• Reduced Productivity. (Petra has slowed down dramatically for no apparent reason. Why?)
• Mistakes. (Andrea very seldom made mistakes, but recently she's had problems with almost every job. What's changed?)
• Difficulty in absorbing new training. (Tom was always a quick study on the computer, but now he has trouble learning new assignments. Is there a problem?)
• Substance Abuse. (Doug has that "spaced-out" look. He's had trouble finishing his last two assignments. Either he's so hyped up with excitement that he can't concentrate, or he's falling asleep at his desk. Why?)

First, you as the boss have to be perceptive enough to pick up on changes as they occur with your employees subtle as the changes may be. Once you've identified a change that has become detrimental to the business, you have to find a way to address it.

Open and honest communication is the obvious first step, but because of the sensitivity of some of the problems I've noted, you can't simply accuse the employee. What you should do is have a "sit-down" in a quiet, uninterrupted environment and state your concern for both the employee and the level of his or her job performance. State facts, times, situations, mistakes, etc. Be empathetic, be a good listener, coax the employee to open up and share. Let them know that you care!

Steps to take
What follows are 10 steps you might follow when you are meeting with a troubled employee:

1. Consider what you're going to say to the employee beforehand. You want to be able to state your concerns in a complete, direct, businesslike fashion.
   
2. Think about any possible rebuttals or excuses you may receive from the employee and be ready to counter them.
   '
3. Hold the session in private, away from other employees, and avoid interruptions.
   
4. Be sure to follow the formalities of company policy. If there aren't any, develop them now. Most procedures follow a pattern of progressive discipline with an informal verbal warning, a formal verbal warning, a written warning, possible suspension, and then termination. More serious offenses such as theft or physical assaults may be dealt with by eliminating the initial steps, and going directly to suspension or termination.