Advice for new managers: Corrections done correctly

This post is part of Setting the Tone in the Your Plan of Action series for those new to the executing team (also called management by some. But not by the enlightened readers of this site.).

Last time I talked about taking corrective action when people—intentionally or unintentionally—act in ways destructive to what you are trying to create.

Like the nuclear option, firing someone is the option of last resort, and there are lots of things that should be done before you get to the point of even considering dismissal. But when taking any of these corrective actions, you have to be careful to do it right.

Get the facts

Make sure you talk to everyone involved, and follow the chain of command. If there are five people involved in an incident, talk to all five—separately. It has been my experience that no matter how black and white an incident appears, there is often a mitigating factor.

Be clear and direct

When correcting an employee, be direct and honest. Beating around the bush, using euphemisms, or being indirect will simply not do. You cannot risk anything to interpretation or misunderstanding. In other words, don’t try to finesse the situation.

Explain yourself

Always explain why you are taking action. Start by assuming that the person involved has no idea that his or her actions were destructive. Don’t assume that the undesirability or impact of the actions is recognized, and be prepared to say why you view those as destructive. Unless the employee understands exactly what he did wrong and why it was wrong, he’s likely to repeat the behavior.

Start small

Don’t act publicly unless the wrong action warrants it and you are completely sure of the facts. Very few infractions require an immediate and public correction. Public corrections can be extremely effective—public shaming has been used since biblical times as a very powerful punishment and deterrent. But if you act too quickly without all the facts, you will reduce your own credibility enormously. Even more importantly, you’ll have committed a wrong against the person in question from which it will be fairly difficult for both you and the person to recover.

Escalate methodically

When you do start small, take escalating actions, culminating in the maximum appropriate penalty for repeated infractions. And be consistent: if your team sees that your core values apply only some of the time for some of the people, everyone will start to disregard them as meaningless marketing, and you will cease to be an effective leader.

Correct down

Corrections should be managed at the lowest appropriate level in your team commensurate with the degree of the infraction in question. You want to empower your managers (assuming you have some below you) to do their job. Talk to them about your concerns, and let them handle the incident if it is appropriate. You’ll want to handle problems in your management team itself, or problems of sufficiently large scope or severity, on your own. But even then if you are taking action against one of your managers’ team members, coordinate with them ahead of time so they know what is going on and why.

Incidents that I always handle myself, no matter where in my organization they happen, are harassment issues, anti-team behavior with a large scope or very public outcome, security violations, and anything that will or could result in immediate employee dismissal or administrative leave, or conviction for a crime.

Keep it legal

Keep in mind that in today’s increasingly litigious society it is always a good idea to get an outside opinion on your course of action before you initiate conversations about serious infractions. Talk to someone you trust and one or more of your mentors. Depending upon what you anticipate might be the final outcome, you may also want to review your plans and options with your Human Resources or Staffing department ahead of time as well. This will ensure that you are dealing from a position of strength that you know will ultimately be supported and supportable by your organization.

Remember the Golden Rule

Finally, give everyone a fair chance. Presume innocence and ignorance over guilt and malfeasance. If your tactics aren’t working, make sure you’ve communicated your concerns frankly and directly. Rely on your mentors before you take precipitous actions. And if you become emotionally involved in a particular issue, find a way for someone else to handle the situation with you as a check on your own behavior.