DEALING WITH UNACCEPTABLE WORK


					***

	The customer survey analysis was a mess.  Ernie Trubb,
marketing director of Sweet Pea Garden Supplies, knew he couldn't
take it to the sales vice president in its current form.  But Ernie
worried about how to tell his assistant, Roscoe Byrd, that it would
have to be done over.  "He'll be hurt, and I'll have to do all that
explaining," Ernie thought glumly.  "Maybe it would just be easier to
re-do the analysis myself."

					***

	Unacceptable work makes life hard for supervisors, but
accepting it makes life even harder.  Supervisors who avoid a
confrontation over quality--often by doing the work themselves--
build up resentment and anger toward workers.  And employees
who aren't encouraged to improve will lose interest in trying.

	On the other hand, by dealing with the confrontation
appropriately you can uphold your group's standards while building
employee skills and pride.  To maintain high performance in your
department, it's essential to do a good job of returning bad work.
Here's how.


Control your reaction.

	It's natural to feel angry at an employee whose work isn't up to
standard.  But make sure you focus on the deficiencies of the work,
not the individual.

	Identify what's missing before you talk to the employee.  In
Ernie's case, Roscoe's report is long on unnecessary description of the
survey technique and short on analysis of the results.  Ernie should
define exactly the information required: who purchases the most
garden equipment and what encourages them to buy.

	Decide also how you can adjust your group's schedule to allow
time for improving the inadequate work.  Knowing your options will
decrease tension and help you deal with the employee calmly and
productively.


Discuss changes positively.

	Make the discussion an opportunity to enhance the employee's
output in the future.  Start by thanking the employee for her effort
on the task, and mention something good about it--for example, that
it was delivered on time.

	Then get to the point, without apologizing.  "This survey
analysis isn't ready for me to use," Ernie can tell Roscoe.  "I need you
to make it ready."

	Outline the general areas that require improvement.  "The
report needs more interpretation of results," Ernie might say, "and
less information about how they were obtained."

	Explain why the changes are needed.  Knowing that the sales
vice president will use the report to find the right customers and sell
to them will help Roscoe focus on providing the information that best
serves that purpose.

	As you get into the specifics, check frequently for the
employee's understanding.  It's much more effective to discuss your
concerns point by point, getting feedback from the employee at each
step, than to list them all at once and then ask for questions.

	Give the person an opportunity to absorb your views--and to
defend his work.  Listen carefully to the employee's justifications.  If
you find that he didn't understand your original instructions,
determine how to avoid such communication breakdowns in the
future.

	However, don't let imperfect understanding in the past justify
poor work now.  Express your appreciation of the effort involved, but
don't back down from the necessity of bringing the finished product
up to standard.

	Once you've agreed on what's needed, discuss how it will be
accomplished.  Ask the employee for suggestions.  Specify what will
constitute successful completion, and set a deadline.  Assure the
employee of your confidence in her success, and of your readiness to
help her achieve it.


Learn your lesson--and go on.

	Once you've handled the immediate challenge of returning
unsatisfactory work, take time to consider whether there were any
steps you could have taken to help the employee succeed the first
time around.  Did you set sufficiently clear standards?  Spend enough
time monitoring progress?  Provide specific and timely feedback?
Don't waste time blaming yourself--but look for opportunities to
handle similar situations more effectively in the future.	

	The next time the employee takes on a task like the one that
gave him trouble, make sure the same problem doesn't crop up
again.  Reinforce the worker's understanding of his goals, and make
sure he has the time and tools to achieve them.  And when he
succeeds, be sure to praise his progress.

	Successful results happen when the employee-supervisor
partnership stays on track.  If work isn't up to standard, it's essential
that the employee keep up his side of the bargain by revising the
work until it's acceptable--and that you keep up yours by turning
the situation into an opportunity to improve.

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