Home Health & Hospice Week

Watch out for this common supervisory mistake when furnishing staff criticism.

Your employees look to you for constructive ways to improve their performance. Avoid the temptation to spout what management consultant Richard E. Byrd, author of Say the Magic Words, calls a "zinger," or a phrase that does more harm than good.

Statements like "It looks like Ramona will be late as always" do little to solve problems. Moreover, they frustrate employees and cause you to lose credibility and respect. This creates an unproductive and even hostile work environment.

Instead, Byrd offers these suggestions to lead by example and keep everyone on track:

• Be as specific as possible. Avoid ambiguity with comments like "Jane, I think you're on the phone too much." Instead, emphasize the consequences of her behavior: "Jane, I've noticed that you've spent 30 minutes making personal calls each day. This is time you could be using to get claims submitted."
• Focus on the problem, not the person. Keep your attention - and your subordinates' attention - where it should be. Instead of saying, "Curt didn't finish the report like I asked," ask questions that address the core problem. For example, "The report isn't finished. How does this affect our deadline? What are the consequences for our agency?"
• Know the time and the place. Make sure that your comments are appropriate. Is it productive to publicly embarrass your employee? Consider saving your sharper comments for a private meeting where you can have a real conversation. In public, let the team know that you have confidence in them.
• Offer feedback without comparisons. If an employee is dedicated, tell her that. Don't say,

"You're more dedicated than the rest of the department." Comparisons will only create rivalries among colleagues and leave some of your employees wondering why you didn't have anything good to say about them.

• Praise with consistency. Be the first one to praise an employee for her success, but don't do it if you don't mean it. Similarly, badmouthing employees behind their backs will travel around the agency. You'll look bad and they'll feel hurt.

Managing people is difficult, but with a little tact and some practice, you'll find the key to improving their performance - and that's what you're here for.