Managing Performance Issues by Saul Selby

Managing Performance Issues – By Saul Selby

Brainstorm these two questions

• What makes an effective clinical leader?
• What makes a clinical leader ineffective?

Two Areas to Consider:

• How do we prevent performance issues?
• How do we manage performance issues?

Learning from previous leaders

• What you liked about
• What you didn’t like

How to Prevent Them

• Explore hiring practices
• Explore retention practices for good employees
• Explore clear expectations of key performance issues

Hiring Practices:

• Internships
• Screening potential hires.
• Probation Period – clear expectations of performance & regular supervision

Retention – “People don’t work for agencies they work for people”

• Do employees like working for the agency
• Do they like working for you
• Are your systems healthy or unhealthy?

What competencies do LADC’s need to have?

• People skills – to work well with clients, other staff, and outside agencies
• Computer skills – to manage file work.
• Technical knowledge – of what clinical interventions work.
• Organizational skills – to insure things get done in a timely and are compliant with agency expectations of case management and documentation.
• Ethical Competency – understanding and complying with understood the field’s expectations regarding ethical behavior. Informed Consent, Conflict of Interests, Dual Relationships (this is huge!!!!)
• Review MNTC LADC Self-Assessment Form

Hiring Practices

• Know what qualities you value.
• Review Core Competency Self-Assessment
• Get as much information about the applicant as possible

• Screening potential applicants as best you can.
• Clearly communicating expectations of desired skills
• Creating development plans for deficient areas.

Self-Assessment as a Leader

• Character flaws and strengths
• Searching and fearless inventory
• Review Supervisor Self-Assessment

How to Create Rapport with staff (brainstorm)

• Affirm strengths.
• Normalize developmental areas that are not
• Respect them as a person.
• Be consistent with all staff
• Be sure communication is clear and adequate
• Utilize motivational approaches when dealing with mistakes
• Have fun, when appropriate.

Being promoted from line staff to Supervisor

• How will co-workers react to you?
• How will you respond to them?
• Do some staff feel they should have gotten the position?

Administering Discipline

• Have thorough investigation
• Get staffs perspective
• Evaluate if staff views it as a problem

Disciplinary Meeting

• Consider consulting with HR or Supervisor in advance
• Know the purpose of disciplinary meeting – to give the person the opportunity to change before there are more serious consequences
• Be clear and specific about performance issues using examples or data.
• Help the staff understand the importance and context of the issue being addressed – how it impacts clients or the agency.
• Specify changes expected as well as timelines.
• Provide support; affirm strengths and values of employee.
• Be consistent with all staff, don’t play favorites.
• Monitor changes and give staff feedback about both positive and negative changes.