Working in a team of three people, you are required to participate in the following role-play exercise.

Role play A: Manager/Kirsty

You are a line manager and Steve is an administrator who reports to you. The other members of the team, while liking him personally, complain about his disorganisation and the image he gives the department.

His last performance review was six months ago and he was rated as just meeting his performance objectives.

Since then Steve’s performance has slipped steadily.

■ 80 per cent of work has to be returned for correction, indicating that it has not been proofread or spell-checked.

■ Computer files and cupboards are a mess. Other administrators fear standing in for him because of his poor organisation.

■ He does not prioritise workload or respond well to urgent requests.

■ He has left a confidential document on his desk overnight twice in the last month.

■ His work area is untidy, with papers and half-empty coffee beakers all over the desk.

You have done your research and have determined that his performance is entirely unsatisfactory. You have asked to see Steve formally in your office so that you can make it clear to him that if his performance does not improve in all areas, his continued employment with the organisation is in jeopardy. Decide how you will approach this difficult situation.

Role play B: Employee/Steve

You are an administrator with eight years’ experience. Your manager has asked to see you and you are pretty sure that it’s about your performance. She had a chat with you a while ago and said your work was not up to scratch. You know this is true but you are a friendly person and most people get on well with you. You usually manage to come up with the goods in the end. If only some of the people you work for would plan ahead a bit, then you wouldn’t have to rush things so much and therefore would make fewer mistakes. Your manager has complained about the way you file things, but you usually find things when they are needed. You enjoy your work and certainly need the money. You are pretty confident you will be able to get out of any kind of scrape with your manager, as you can be quite persuasive when you choose to be.

Role play C: Observer

The outcome here needs to be that Steve is absolutely clear that if his performance doesn’t improve dramatically then the usual, formal disciplinary procedure will be instigated. 

Watch out for the following from the manager:

■ Clear, assertive but unemotional communication to Steve throughout the meeting;

■ Keeping clear of attacking Steve as a person;

■ Not allowing Steve to take over and blame others;

■ Checking that Steve is clear on the implications of not improving;

■ Pointing out clearly where Steve is going wrong and what improvements are expected;

■ Giving Steve a deadline and review date.

Discussion

■ What have you learned from this exercise about the nature and management of performance review?

■ What do you think is the best way to manage poor performance? What options are available?

■ What other conclusions do you draw from this exercise?