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Daily Performance Management – “I.T.S.” Fundamental

May 18, 2010 by Jim 8 Comments

Question:  How does one eat an elephant?

Answer:  One bite at a time.

(That was a learning point, not a recipe tip.  My apologies to vegetarians and animal rights activists who may object to the analogy.  Evil Skippy says fire up the barbecue.)

Many supervisors seem overwhelmed by performance management.  I get it.  You have a “real” job to do and supervising your staff is just one part of the overall job description.  People like me come in with all sorts of grand ideas about the science of management, but all you want to do is get the work done and go home.

Trust me on this one.  If you make performance management a daily routine and break the task into easy “bite-sized” pieces, it will soon become pretty easy to do.  Part of making it easy is to learn and apply the I.T.S. approach.  “It’s” simple.

I = Immediate.   Immediate feedback is the most effective kind.  When there is a problem, deal with it right away.  It is the rare problem that solves itself.  In the same way, when there is a praise-worthy achievement –offer the praise right away.  It means more to an employee than you might suspect.

T = Think Small.  Even if the problem is a minor one, address it.  It is crazy to wait until the issue grows into a major disaster.  If you engage in a gentle I.T.S. moment when a potential problem first starts, you have a strong chance of avoiding the major future problem that might have developed.   Think small about positive feedback, too.  People should not have to win a Pulitzer before being told that they wrote a good report.

S = Specific.  Do not be vague or too broad.  Make your point, and then return to your supervisory day.  When necessary, also be specific about consequences if a problem seems to be turning into an unacceptable pattern.

Don’t forget to jot down a few lines about the “I.T.S. moment” to document the occasion.

I.T.S. Moments work.  I used them all the time when I managed a group of legal secretaries, paralegals and new attorneys.  Talk about nerve-wracking supervision.  All of these people knew attorneys!

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Filed Under: Performance Management Tagged With: coaching, documentation, performance management

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Trackbacks

  1. The “Draft Performance Evaluation File” – A Supervisor’s Best Friend | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    May 23, 2010 at 10:45 AM

    […] document on my laptop.  Do whatever works for you, but the key is to do it.  Whenever you have an I.T.S. Moment with one of your employees, prepare a short note or entry for the employee’s Draft Performance […]

    Reply
  2. Performance Evaluations Can Kill | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    June 9, 2010 at 3:26 PM

    […] accurate and specific communications about performance are not meaningless.   My post, “Daily Performance Management – ‘I.T.S.’ Fundamental,” shows how to make such communications an easy and effective […]

    Reply
  3. Dear Evil Skippy: Open Door Policies and Bathroom Breaks | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    July 22, 2010 at 12:25 AM

    […] After these conversations, include the employees’ progress toward more independence in their evaluations.  Also, after the employees’ successes (or failures), make use of the coaching and documentation techniques described in Evil Skippy at Work’s article “Daily Performance Management – ‘I.T.S.’ Fundamental”, here. […]

    Reply
  4. Dear Evil Skippy: “Bless You” and Other Offensives | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    September 15, 2010 at 8:04 AM

    […] know what has happened so far just in case the employee continues to press the matter.   Documentation is a good thing, […]

    Reply
  5. Dear Evil Skippy: I Don’t Get No Respect | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    October 13, 2010 at 7:46 AM

    […] every supervisor needs to embrace.  If you are not familiar with my favorite feedback tool, read Daily Performance Management – I.T.S. Fundamental.  Providing immediate and specific feedback can stop tiny problems from becoming huge ones.  […]

    Reply
  6. No Documentation = It Never Happened | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    November 17, 2010 at 9:34 AM

    […] Daily Performance Management – “I.T.S.” Fundamental […]

    Reply
  7. Dear Evil Skippy: How Should I Introduce The Topic Of Termination? | Evil Skippy at Work says:
    October 6, 2011 at 7:31 AM

    […] One way to set clear expectations on an ongoing basis is to use the “I.T.S.” method – and here is a link to my earlier post about […]

    Reply
  8. Open Door Policies + Bathrooms: Yikes says:
    July 23, 2019 at 8:57 AM

    […] July 23, 2019 by Jim Leave a Comment […]

    Reply

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