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Coaching an Employee to Meet Your Performance Expectations by Diane Sullivan

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The following scenarios will deal with two very common issues: absenteeism, (where we will meet Abby) and rude patient interaction, (where we will meet Rudy).

The story begins with Abby’s first day at Anytown Dental. She is very excited about joining this great practice. She has heard from friends that the doctor and staff are nice to work with.

Abby is welcomed by the office manager and is introduced to all the staff members. She fills out all the necessary paperwork, is given an orientation, which includes a review of the office policies, including the attendance policy. She is given an office manual and is teamed up with a reliable and experienced staff member for training.

Fast-forward six months and let’s look at how Abby is doing today. The office manager and the doctor are having a private conversation about Abby. Once again she is absent. She is a great assistant, is terrific with the patients, gets along with all the staff, but is absent far too often. This repeatedly puts undue stress on the rest of the staff. She knows the absenteeism policy. Abby has not told us of any extenuating circumstances that prevent her from coming to work.

Does Abby’s situation sound familiar? What should the doctor do about her? It’s time for a formal discussion and memo to file. The discipline process works most effectively using a step system, increasing in severity if the behavior continues.

Step 1: Memo to file (note detailing the discussion that took place with the employee and addressing the violation of policy)
Step 2: Written warning
Step 3: Final warning
Step 4: Termination

All of these steps serve to document your discussions and will help coach a poor performer to meet your standards. If an employee commits a serious policy violation then starting at a later stage of the process may be necessary, including immediate termination if warranted.

The scenario is only effective if you have a set attendance policy and hold everyone accountable to the same standard. Addressing attendance issues is usually clear-cut. At times you need to make adjustments or exceptions for an employee who is ill or dealing with an ill family member or similar circumstance.

I recommend setting an absenteeism policy that is reasonable for your situation. As an example, I have found that seven instances of absence in a rolling 12-month period, (a period of 12 consecutive months determined on a rolling basis with a new 12-month period beginning on the first day of each calendar month), is a reasonable number. If an employee has an illness or emergency, that keeps them out of work for several days at a time, that should be considered one instance of absence.

You will find that most employees are never in jeopardy. However, there are always a few that skate close to the edge, no matter what policy you put in place. When you have employees reaching the fifth or sixth instance of absence, an informal discussion should take place to let them know they are reaching the warning stage. Once the seventh instance is reached, begin the step warning process with a memo to file. Any other absence within that rolling 12-month period will take the employee to the written warning step, and another absence, to the final warning step. I recommend a three-day suspension without pay at this point. If the employee is absent once more, then termination is in order. The number of absences you allow in this policy is discretionary; seven is generous and allows for family situations as well. The number you are willing to allow is up to you. I introduced this policy in my current practice. We hold the employees to the standard and absenteeism is rarely an issue anymore.

Once you have the pieces in place, a consistent approach with all employees is critical. If it is perceived that you are not holding one person accountable to the same standards, you lose credibility with the entire staff. Once you establish that you are fair and consistent in the application of the policies, your job gets easier. Use an attendance controller to keep track of your employees’ days out sick or unscheduled absences; tardiness can be tracked on these as well. This documentation also helps diffuse any perceptions of discrimination or favoritism. The process works to correct the behavior of a good employee in most cases. If you communicate how you value their contributions when they are at work and let them know this process is to be taken seriously, sometimes the Abbys of the world will smarten up. If not, then in the long run Abby is not a good member of the team. She cannot be relied upon and letting her go is the best solution, for the entire staff.

Meanwhile across town, Dr. Noah Payne is frustrated with one of his newer employees, Rudy. Rudy just does not meet his expectations with patient interaction. He is reliable, flexible and gets along with the staff, but his interactions with the patients are, at best, brusque and at times, downright rude. Dr. Payne has spoken to him informally on several occasions after which he improves for a few days then is back to his usual self. Dr. Payne has just received a call from one of his long-standing patients who is very upset about the treatment she received yesterday. She is so dissatisfied that she has requested her records be transferred to a new dentist.

Dr. Payne should follow a similar process that the previous example detailed. Documentation of any critical feedback is important. The doctor should start with a memo to file at least, but given the circumstances, might want to bring the process to the written warning stage. A formal, private conversation with Rudy detailing specific examples of his poor patient interaction is necessary. Rudy must walk away from the conversation understanding that his behavior must change or his employment is in jeopardy. The doctor must communicate that he expects immediate significant improvement or further disciplinary action, up to and including termination will occur.

I recommend using a simple form that can be used for all the steps in the discipline process. On this form include: the date, the employee’s name, his/her date of hire, the policy violation being reviewed, the dates of previous discussions or warnings, what those warnings or discussions consisted of, the next step in the discipline process and the employee’s comments. Also sign and have the employee sign the warning. You can download a copy of a form, very similar to the one I’ve used for years, by going to Dentaltown.com. Using a simple form helps keep the disciplinary conversations in a consistent format. It also keeps it clear, naming the violation, the expectations and the follow up. You can use this form for each of the four steps.

Sometimes a formal serious conversation is all that is needed to change the behavior. The warning should stay in the employees file for a period of one year. If another instance of poor performance occurs then the next step is warranted until you reach the termination point.

Diane Sullivan’s policy violation documentation form can be found at www.dentaltown.com/violation. Feel free to use it in your office.

Author's Bio
Diane Sullivan is the practice manager for a large pediatric practice, Dentistry for Children, P.C., located in South Weymouth, Massachusetts. She managed employees for more than 30 years in large corporations, with focus on human resource management, including hiring, employee relations, labor relations and training and development. In 2003, Diane earned her PHR (Professional in Human Resources). The certification, awarded by the Human Resource Certification Institute, signifies that individuals possess the theoretical knowledge and practical experience in human resource management necessary to pass a rigorous examination demonstrating a mastery of the body of knowledge in the field.

Diane joined Dentistry for Children in 2004, and has managed the organization through a practice management software conversion, implementation of digital radiographs, as well as expansion and refurbishment.

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