When coaching for skill improvement is not needed, a differ- ent approach is called for. An approach that is confronting the
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problem issue but problem solving and not seen as punitive.
One that calls for different forms of communication. The cor- rective interview is a form of counseling that is more directive in nature. It involves the manager/supervisor in the definition of the problem and its solution, while involving the employee in the process.
The corrective interview is a face-to-face meeting to come to an understanding of what happened and what is to be done.
It is an attempt to change the behavior of an employee so that the undesirable behavior or performance deficiency may be eliminated. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that you, the supervisor, do care about the employee and are interested in him or her as a member of the organization. The corrective interview is a problem-solving process easily implemented to improve performance and retain an employee.
The process may be useful when there are performance problems not related to a skill deficiency or a lack of ability.
Often there are other issues inhibiting the desired perform- ance and additional training or coaching is not appropriate.
The issues may be related to lateness, absenteeism, not com- pleting work on time, complaining, or not presenting a desired approach to guest service. It might also be related to interper- sonal relations with other employees.
Stages of the corrective interview
The corrective interview has three stages. In the first stage the manager/supervisor prepares for the interview. Identifying the performance-related deficiency and being able to identify posi- tive behavior change goals for the employee. Identifying the desired behavior changes for each goal is next. It is important to identify the areas where the employee is performing effec- tively. Being able to give specific examples of positive behav- ior will help take away the negative feelings of the interview.
All of this is done by the supervisor to help set direction and a positive atmosphere for the discussion. Setting sufficient time for the interview and having a location lacking in distractions are important.
The second phase is conducting the interview. In conducting the interview, the supervisor states the reason for the interview and presents the issues as he or she sees it. The employee is asked for his or her opinion. At this time the supervisor dem- onstrates active listening and attempts to understand the feel- ings and reasoning of the employee. Through the discussion there must be an agreement that the issue is a problem and
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that it must be remedied. The manager/supervisor seeks infor- mation from the employee as to the contributors to the prob- lem. This helps to set ownership of the problem and future solutions. Agreement of the causes is sought. A decision on an action is next. The employee is encouraged to suggest poten- tial corrective actions. What the supervisor will do and what the employee will do to correct the undesirable behavior is identified. Again there must be an agreement on the actions to be taken. An integral part of the discussion is the provision for a follow-up activity. This is necessary in order to demonstrate the importance of the correction. Agreements on the action and the check on performance are mandatory. All through the corrective interview, the coming to agreement is central to the success of the process. If one party does not agree on the problem, the causes, the corrective action, or the follow-up, the potential for failure is increased. Positive statements regarding the employee’s performance might be given at the beginning to help bring about a positive atmosphere or at the end to rein- force the feeling the employee is a valued contributor to the organization.
Follow-up then becomes the third phase to the corrective interview. This formal process is necessary in that it lets the employee know there must be correction and it gives the super- visor an opportunity to review the activity with the employee and that progress has been noted. The follow-up interview is an opportunity to determine if the agreed upon approach to solving the performance problem is working. This is an oppor- tunity for the supervisor to demonstrate a sincere concern for the employee and the job performance of that employee. The time of the discussion should have been agreed upon during the corrective interview and be sufficient that improvement in performance be evident over a reasonable timeframe.
During the follow-up, one of several scenarios may play out. The employee has made significant progress and the undesired behaviors have disappeared. This is time for a state- ment of appreciation and positive reinforcement. It may be that the employee has worked hard and made some progress but work needs to be done to meet the standard. The super- visor may offer suggestions for continued improvement and encouragement. A third possibility is that the employee either has not made much progress or there is no change in behav- ior. The supervisor must make the decision that the prospects for desired change are low and a more severe action must be taken. In this case the supervisor has documented evi- dence that the opportunity to change has been given and the employee has not made use of the opportunity.
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Throughout the corrective interview process, the need for acceptance of responsibility and agreement on action has been stressed. The supervisor and employee have identified a problem behavior and a process for correcting the undesired behavior. The corrective interview is a communication process in which the supervisor and employee have come together to solve a non-skill related performance problem. However, there are times when the employee is confronted by concerns that may have an affect on future performance. Coaching or the cor- rective interviewing process may not resolve these concerns. A different form of communication is called for in this instance.