Karen
DeLorenzo
AVP, Provider Leadership & Org. Development and Wellness
MultiCare Health System

1:45 pm

1:45pm-2:20pm EDT Removing the Drama from Managing Low Performers

General Session

No one ever went into leadership because they couldn’t wait to manage low performers. However, it is one of the most important responsibilities we have when it comes to creating and sustaining a great culture where all team members feel valued, productive, effective, and love to come to work.
 
The drama created by one person who is not performing well is pervasive: it destroys collaboration while increasing avoidance behaviors. It can decrease morale while increasing gossip, turnover, and callouts. And this is just the beginning!
 
Now let’s talk about you: what happens when you are faced with the chore of needing to couch or counsel a low performer? It’s a huge distraction from your ‘normal’ duties. Some of us will avoid dealing with the low performer, which may be interpreted by the team as not caring about how they feel. The longer you drag it out, the more frustrated you become and the more you hate going to the office. At some point, your frustration might turn to anger—what impact do you think this will have? 
 
Being an agile leader requires us to have the skills and desire to tackle toxicity in our team before it takes hold. Let’s learn how to do this skillfully with everyone’s dignity intact. Imagine what this can do for your ability to get promoted when you can answer the question, “What are your strengths?” with “I am great at turning low performers into valued members of the team!” 
 
In this session, you will learn: 

  • How to make tackling poor performance an urgent and important task that you look forward to
  •  A simple model for organizing your thoughts so communication is clear and compelling
  • Three easy ways to ensure that you have a great outcome to these conversations
  • (You may not like this one!) Why is it your fault