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Interpersonal communication is the skill set used between two individuals, with. A short list includes: encoding problems on both the sender side, bad timing,.
- 1 Appraise a Bad Performer Without Offending Him
- 2 Tips on Delivering an Appraisal to a Poor Performer
- 3 Discuss Attitude With a Subordinate
- 4 Make a Difficult Employee Into a Good Employee
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Conducting a performance appraisal or employee evaluation sheds light on employee job skills, professionalism and work ethics. Evaluations are rated based on the manager’s observations, quantity and quality of the employee’s work, and how well the employee interacts with co-workers and management. There are several areas in which your employee is rated, and the subjective areas, such as interpersonal communication skills, are much more difficult than rating an employee simply on the basis of her productivity. Interpersonal communication skills are as important as productivity when you look at the job in its totality.
Observing Poor Interpersonal Communication Skills
Employees who find it difficult to build good interpersonal relationships with co-workers are generally observed as someone who doesn’t work well with others. Other employees may even complain about their co-worker’s behavior if it’s an environment where communicating with others regularly is mandatory. During the performance appraisal, explain to the employee what you, as her manager, refer to as interpersonal communication skills. Provide the employee with a definition of this trait, and give concrete examples of how her interaction with co-workers does not meet the performance standards.
Discuss Reasons for Deficiency
Encourage the employee to be participative in the discussion about her performance appraisal. There may exist problems or concerns of which you are unaware that contribute to the employee’s deficiency in this area. If you sense the employee is uncomfortable providing a reason or explanation, ask questions to elicit an answer. There may be a valid reason why the employee is not exhibiting the interpersonal communication skills necessary. There is the possibility that she is poorly suited for her current position. If this problem is short-term or episodic, she may be experiencing non-work related stress that has caused a change in her behavior.
Improving Interpersonal Communication Skills
A number of resources are available to help your employee develop or improve his interpersonal communication skills. The Society of Industrial & Organization Psychology, Inc. indicates employment tests if “The job requires attributes that are hard to develop or change. Tests are often used for assessing characteristics that cannot be developed through training but are acquired over long periods of time or even a lifetime (e.g., personality traits, in-depth knowledge of a profession).” Interpersonal communication skills certainly would fit in this category. If it is determined that the employee is indeed suited for his current position, make the investment to lead the employee to improvement. Aside from preparing him to receive a better performance appraisal, you will be demonstrating that your company actually invests in your employees’ future. When necessary, make the decision about the type and delivery of training and development course is going to be the best choice for your employee.
Followup Evaluation
Instead of waiting for the next annual performance appraisal, agree upon an intermediate date for measuring the employee’s improvement. Remind the employee that you are supportive of her efforts .
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About the Author
Ruth Mayhew has been writing since the mid-1980s, and she has been an HR subject matter expert since 1995. Her work appears in 'The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry,' and she has been cited in numerous publications, including journals and textbooks that focus on human resources management practices. She holds a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ruth resides in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
Photo Credits
- Meeting image by Mykola Velychko from Fotolia.com
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Mayhew, Ruth. 'Employee Evaluation & Lack of Interpersonal Communication Skills.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/employee-evaluation-lack-interpersonal-communication-skills-1907.html. Accessed 12 September 2019.
Mayhew, Ruth. (n.d.). Employee Evaluation & Lack of Interpersonal Communication Skills. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/employee-evaluation-lack-interpersonal-communication-skills-1907.html
Mayhew, Ruth. 'Employee Evaluation & Lack of Interpersonal Communication Skills' accessed September 12, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/employee-evaluation-lack-interpersonal-communication-skills-1907.html
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