Question 1

Signs indicating that an employee's poor performance may result from personal factors or factors outside anyone's control may include:

Accepted Answer

All of the listed signs (absenteeism, difficulty concentrating, unacceptable conduct, and poor relationships with co-workers) can result from personal factors or factors outside the employee's control. Therefore, selecting E as the answer provides the most comprehensive and accurate response.

Question 2

'During this meeting, I would like to review your safety record and formulate an action plan for improving it.' This statement is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

The statement is a framing statement, as it sets the stage for discussing and addressing a specific issue (safety record) during the meeting. A performance gap would be more specific to a discrepancy between actual and desired performance, while a measure of success and SMART target both imply a more concrete and measurable objective.

Question 3

Which of the following is not recommended when terminating an employee's employment?

Accepted Answer

Ideally, termination discussions should not be conducted on Fridays or before holidays as this may cause additional stress and anxiety for the employee who may not be able to access support services or start the job search process until after the weekend or holiday period. It is recommended to conduct the termination interview mid-week and during work hours.

Question 4

If repeatedly having the same conversation with an employee has no positive impact on their performance, this is a likely sign that the manager's approach is not working, and that they need to discard their assumptions and re-analyse the problem with an open mind.

Accepted Answer

Repeatedly having the same conversation with an employee with no positive impact on their performance indicates that the current approach is not effective, and the manager should consider re-analyzing the situation with an open mind to determine a new approach.

Question 5

To address the situation of an employee who approaches their work with an attitude typical of entitlement culture, a manager should:

Accepted Answer

Speaking candidly with the employee about their responsibility and the need to change their attitude accordingly is the best choice. It is important to address the root issue of entitlement culture and emphasize the importance of performance, productivity, and customer satisfaction. Simply lightening or increasing their workload may not address the underlying attitude problem, and referring them for counselling may not be necessary unless their attitude is significantly impacting their work performance. Telling the employee straight out that their attitude is poor may come across as confrontational and unprofessional.

Question 6

Where an employee's poor performance involves serious misconduct that endangers the safety of others, the most appropriate approach would be to:

Accepted Answer

In cases of serious misconduct that endanger the safety of others, it is important to clearly describe the issue and explain why it is dangerous. The consequences of continuing this behavior should also be outlined clearly. The Describe-Explain-Suggest-Consequences model is the most appropriate approach in this situation. Neither 'I' messages, the Describe-Explain-Suggest model, nor the fogging technique will adequately address the seriousness of the situation.

Question 7

To address the situation of an employee who was previously an excellent performer, but whose performance has now fallen to an unacceptably low level, their manager should:

Accepted Answer

The best approach in this situation is for the manager to acknowledge the employee's underperformance, investigate any possible causes of it, brainstorm solutions to address it, and show faith that it will improve. Placing the employee on probation or a performance-based employment agreement should only be done as a last resort, and only if the employee fails to show improvement after a reasonable period of time. Seeking a written assurance from the employee is also not the most effective approach as it may not address the underlying causes of their underperformance. Lightening the employee's workload or directing them to take leave may also not be effective if the root causes of their underperformance are not addressed.

Question 8

Once agreement has been reached on the actions to be taken in a performance management process, all that remains to do is to document the discussions and, where necessary, forward the documentation to the human resources manager.

Accepted Answer

After reaching an agreement on actions in a performance management process, it's not only about documenting discussions and forwarding them to HR. It also involves implementing the agreed actions, monitoring progress, providing ongoing feedback, and making adjustments as necessary to ensure the objectives are met.

Question 9

Which of the following would be an inappropriate action when counselling an employee displaying excessive absenteeism?

Accepted Answer

Enquiring only about work-related factors contributing to the absences would be inappropriate as there may be personal or health-related factors that are affecting the employee's attendance. It is important to consider all possible factors when addressing excessive absenteeism.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a performance gap related to an employee's conduct?

Accepted Answer

Having to be constantly reminded to 'lock' their computer screen to maintain the privacy of sensitive information is related to the employee's conduct as it involves following a specific procedure or protocol.

Question 11

Where a manager wants one of their part-time team members to increase their workload from three to four days a week, but the employee refuses because they need two days off to take their elderly parents to medical appointments, this is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Where a manager wants one of their...

Question 12

If an employee takes legal action for unfair or unlawful dismissal, to defend the termination action successfully, it is important that their manager has:

Accepted Answer

Clear documentation of the employee's performance gap in specific terms is crucial in defending against a claim of unfair or unlawful dismissal. Obtaining agreement from colleagues or an admission from the employee may be helpful but is not as strong as concrete documentation. Providing verbal warnings prior to dismissal may also be helpful but is not a requirement for defending against legal action.

Question 13

Ideally, when managing underperformance, a manager should appear to be:

Accepted Answer

When managing underperformance, the focus should be on addressing the problem, rather than attacking the individual. By being hard on the problem and empathetic towards the person, the manager can build trust and a more positive working relationship, thus increasing the chances of success in improving performance.

Question 14

It is the responsibility of the manager of an underperforming employee to make sure the employee clearly understands:

Accepted Answer

All of the choices listed are important for the manager of an underperforming employee to communicate. Without clear expectations (choice A), the employee may not even be aware that their performance is lacking. Without understanding the performance gap and why it matters (choice B), the employee may not be motivated to improve. Without a plan for improvement and assistance from the manager (choice C), the employee may not have the support needed to make necessary changes. And without consequences for continued poor performance (choice D), the employee may not see the severity of the situation. Therefore, all of these options are critical for the manager to address.

Question 15

Where a manager identifies a straightforward performance gap to which the solution is obvious, they should use:

Accepted Answer

Corrective feedback is specifically aimed at addressing a performance gap by providing clear, specific guidance on how to improve. When the solution to a performance issue is obvious, corrective feedback is the most direct and effective way to guide an employee towards the desired performance.

Question 16

Where a manager observes unacceptable employee behaviour in the form of constant interrupting, it is the:

Accepted Answer

Observing and analysing the unacceptable employee behavior is the first step towards improving performance as it helps the manager identify the problem and take corrective actions to address the behavior. The subsequent steps involve giving good information, gathering more information, problem-solving, and agreeing on actions.

Question 17

Choose the best answer. When an employee underperforms, their manager has a responsibility to:

Accepted Answer

It is the responsibility of the manager to recognize the underperformance and take prompt corrective action to address and resolve it. This approach may involve coaching, training, counseling or disciplinary action depending on the severity of the situation. Ignoring the problem or delaying action can lead to further decline in performance, affect team morale and create other negative consequences.

Question 18

Which of the following would not be considered a possible option as part of the problem-solving step in managing underperformance?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following would not be...

Question 19

Choose the best answer. To find and fix the cause of underperformance, a manager needs to:

Accepted Answer

Option D is the best choice as it suggests that a manager needs to diagnose the cause of underperformance by looking at all aspects of the 'five keys', and determining which are applicable. This approach allows the manager to consider all possible factors that may be contributing to the underperformance and address them accordingly. The other options, while not necessarily wrong, do not provide a comprehensive approach to addressing underperformance.

Question 20

The two overall goals when discussing underperformance are to maintain or enhance the employee's self-esteem, and to help the employee accept and correct the performance shortfall.

Accepted Answer

These are commonly accepted goals when addressing underperformance in the workplace.

Quiz 16: Managing Underperformance