Performance and attitude are both affected when an employee is troubled. Look for these clues:
Performance:
(lower productivity and poor quality work; disorganization; frequent absences; missed deadlines; focusing on small meaningless tasks and avoiding tougher jobs; lack of self-direction) and
Attitude:
(lack of initiative; withdrawal; blaming, complaining; irritability; depression; lack of cooperation; and avoidance of team members).
How can you help a troubled employee?
It's your job as a supervisor to intervene whenever an employee's job performance or attitude has declined. Try to find out what's bothering the employee. Three common sources of trouble are:
lack of knowledge or training in job responsibilities, personal problems, and organizational changes.
Make sure you provide the employee with a clear outline of their job duties.
Use your coaching skills to help the employee learn the necessary job skills and develop confidence to do the job.
If the employee has personal problems that are beyond your scope for dealing with them, refer him to the employee assistance program (EAP).
Remember....... the signs of a troubled employee are not likely to go away. By stepping in, you may help an employee avoid a more serious problem.
Managers and supervisors can find valuable resource materials at the following Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) web sites:
