For stability: Should you reward a low-performing employee?

I have an employee who has had low performance in recent years. He does not accept the comments and does not Trying to get better, but after two significant departures in the group, I can not fire him until the atmosphere stabilizes. Recently, he asked for a raise. He does not deserve it, but in the current atmosphere I try to convey to him that staying is important to me. (. Experiencing a heavy load of tasks. In some companies the number of tasks and the time allotted for their execution do not match the ability of the teams to meet the set goals. If we add to this load the remote management challenges of distributed teams, we get worn and stressed managers, who try to bring the best results in conditions of uncertainty both at the task level and at the people level. The current waves of resignation also add to all this fear: “Fear that my people will leave and I will be forced to engage in recruitment instead of regular work.”

In a state of fear or anxiety, our judgment is not optimal and the ability to accept Decisions are hurt. Stressful situations motivate us to build confidence and maintain stability at all costs, which is not always the right thing to do. Even in complex situations, we must not lose the values ​​that lead us and the compass that guides us. And in any case, let us not let fear be a driving force for action. The case that has arisen here can be examined in three aspects: the manager himself, the manager in front of the employee and the manager in front of the staff.

■ The manager in front of the staff: As managers, we serve as a personal, professional and social example within the organization. Staff members are likely to be aware of that employee’s low performance, but what do they learn from the manager’s behavior? That his standards are low, because he guards does not work well; That he is not honest with them, because otherwise he would not have told the employee that his presence is desirable and contributing while he is not satisfied with it; That the good ones leave and the bad ones stay. Employee retention conveys a non-verbal message of mediocrity and sweeping the problems under the rug. Over time, the feedback given to him was likely to be ineffective. The same employee can assume that he is working well enough because the manager tells him that his presence is so desirable and contributing that he thinks he deserves a raise. The manager transmits distress after two unwanted departures in the team and the employee knows how to manage and take advantage of this to get the best out of the situation.

■ The manager in front of himself: A good manager knows how to look at any situation or person and examine what is in my positive impact ability and what is not, then take a proactive approach to create a positive impact on his environment. In order not to fall into the traps of stress, fear and anxiety, a manager should ask himself a series of questions that will strengthen his managerial compass: What is my mission as a manager? What kind of manager do I want to be? What are the values ​​that lead me? What are my red lines? What are my sources of support or advice in crisis situations? Then, in light of the responses received, it is worthwhile to set some long-term goals for the team and personal and team work norms. Beyond that, a manager needs to internalize that he is setting a personal example to his team in the things he says, in the way he says them and also in the things he does not say. Calculate what indirect message you are conveying to the employee, the team and the organization when you retain a bad employee at all costs.