Chapters summary

Ch. 11 Summary Use of performance management for disciplinary action can either mean punishment or training to help people. Teaching is better than forcing obedience. Discipline implies the need for manager to notify employees of performance problems and their possible consequences. More than a right, managers assume the responsibility to do anything to implement discipline. Punishment is an emotional process that is executed in the state of anger. While applying consequences, managers should follow certain principles including adherence to laws, documentation of action, use of least pressure, deterrence from the use of severe measures until inevitable, and specific and detailed description of performance problem to the employee. Managers must have full awareness of the problem to use the disciplinary process effectively. First the manager diagnoses the problem together with the employee, and after coaching and feedback, if the desired improvement is not seen, actions become unilateral from bilateral, thus causing the manager to decide what eventually needs to be done to halt the consistent poor performance of the employee. Progressive discipline involves least use of force to solve performance problem, but in case of failed solution of cooperative problem, consequences are applied. The three phases of progressive discipline process include identification and cooperation, cooperative consequences in the case of persistence of performance problem, and unilateral consequences. Identification and cooperation includes identification of problem and preparation of plan to solve it. Cooperative consequences include identification and application of consequences. Unilateral consequences include taking severe action in case of persistence of problem remaining within the labor agreement constraints.
Ch. 12 Summary
Commitment and a different mindset is required to manage performance. Good management aims at adding value instead of speeding up the processes to get everything done quickly. Common managerial objections include being too busy to take more work, not being clear on the manager’s job, considering the system dreadful, dissatisfaction of the employees with the appraisal process, tendency of employees to benefit from the cooperative approach of the manager and the power being shifted from the manager’s hand into the employees’ as a result, considering the process of performance appraisal useless until used for rewarding employees, lack of acknowledgment of the imperfection of any pay for performance system, fear of the manager to lose employees’ interest if they are told to improve their performance, interference of the HR in the manager’s performance management. Managers can make more efficient use of their time if they analyze how much time is wasted in unproductive activities. Managers should consider managing performance of employees their prime responsibility. Managers should emphasize on developing mutual understanding irrespective of the level of perfection of system. Employees might get resistant initially, but gradually they would start to understand the managers’ sincere efforts in managing performance. It is a myth that working cooperatively with the employees diminishes manager’s power. Performance management should not be linked with pay for performance. Managers should try to make performance management as close to perfect as they can. Managers should not cultivate fear of negative emotions during performance management. Managers should try to convince and cooperate with the HR during performance management, and take them into confidence.