Performance Management: Methods of Feedback, Dealing with Underperforming Employees, Coaching Programs, and Disciplinary Actions

This article discusses various aspects of performance management, including methods of formal and informal feedback, dealing with underperforming employees, coaching programs, and disciplinary actions. It also provides tips on how to track employee performance, acknowledge top performers, and monitor the success of coaching programs. The article is relevant to anyone interested in improving employee performance and productivity.

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[Name]
[Course]
[Name of Professor]
[Institution]
[City]
[Date]

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1. What methods of formal and informal feedback would you use? How often?
a) Formal Feedback (2 marks – 1 marks per suggestion)
Use of focus groups. This should be used as soon as questionnaires have been taken to be able to
determine why customers like or dislike their products
b) b. Informal Feedback (2 marks – 1 marks per suggestion)
Use of randomly placed complaint box in the market area. This complaint boxes should be
checked on a weekly basis to know and solve issues that customers have with their sales.
2. How would you deal with and help the 10% of employees who are not meeting performance
expectations? (6 marks)
i. Explain the sales expectations of employees that are not meeting their expectation
that makes sales expectations to be clear and ensure that each employee knows what
the sales target that you want them to achieve
ii. give performance feedback
Track and give feedback on sales gain and gaps consistently. Cite an example of employees who
are doing it right and also those salesmen who are doing it wrong so that they can learn from
those who are doing it right
iii. Motivate and encourage the underperforming employees.

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Concentrate on the majority of salesmen who are doing it right and not who is doing it wrong
(Risha, 2011). Reward those underperforming employees who are making small but consistent
improvements.
iv. Take action
Empower the underperforming employees by training and teaching. Punish those who are not
improving and terminate employees who are not meeting their expectation.
3. For the functional area that you selected, what topics could you include in a coaching program
for employees who are not meeting performance expectations? (3 marks – 1 mark per
suggestion)
 How to keep a customer relationship
 How to know potential customers before offering them sales.
 How to negotiate with customers (Flaherty, 2010)
4. a.) How would you track an employee’s performance?
(4 marks – 1 mark per suggestion)
i. Outline the worth of all the sales positions to be able to scrutinize their performance
(Armstrong, 2015)

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ii. Set attainable and quantifiable aims. This can be done by tying sales aims to revenue
by calculation of the middling conversion ratios to which will, in turn, create
measurable objectives
iii. By using quantifying tools. For instance, use of a call sheet that will be scrutinized at
the end of every week to determine whether aims are being met.
iv. By putting everyone on the sales team in the company program. This will make all
employees be accountable as far as their contribution is concerned.
b.) What would you keep records of? (4 marks – 1 mark per suggestion)
 Total sales per week
 weekly sales revenue
 weekly sales calls
 records of win rate
5. What should you include and discuss in a structured feedback session?
(6 marks – 2 marks per suggestion)
Outline the helpful aspects of the sales team member’s performance to the company. Explain
how each member’s contribution adds up to the company’s goals.
Seek input from the sales members regarding their performance that is what is going on well and
what can be done differently while referring to the sales data.

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Provide helpful feedback to sales team especially areas that need more improvement. Allow
members to respond to your feedback, and discuss any issues that need to be followed up before
concluding the meeting.

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6. For the selected functional area, complete the following performance improvement plan for an
employee who is not meeting expectations?
(12 marks – 6 marks per suggestion)
Area needing
improvement
Proposed activity SMART Objective Evaluation
communication Speak clearly to
when offering a sale
to a customer
Develop effective
negotiation skills
To develop effective
listening,
communication and
negotiation skills
Does the salesperson
listen carefully in
order to understand
what the customer
wants?
Does the employee
explain clearly to the
customer concerning
the sales?
Does the salesperson
make the customer
relax during a
conversation?
(Bolstorff & Rosen
Baum, 2012)
flexibility Consistent seeking
advice from the sales
manager and
To adapt to the
changing sales
Do the salesmen
seek advice and
update of whatever

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colleagues
Brainstorm and
compromise to
achieve a shared
objective.
conditions goes on in the sales
department?
Do the sales
employees
compromise
situations to achieve
the company
expectation?
7. When should you seek help from HR department?
(4 marks – 2 marks per suggestion)
When evaluation employee performance – Since it is one of the key roles of the HR department
to evaluate the performance of the salespersons, it is key to seek their assistance when doing an
evaluation of sale persons' performance (Dave., et al., 2008).
When compensating and awarding the employees based on their performance – In order to come
with best compensation and benefits it is key to seek help from the HR department since they
have clear records of all the salespersons in terms of performance in the workplace.
8. Identify 3 different methods that you would use to acknowledge excellence of top performers.
(3 marks – 1 mark per suggestion)

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a. Financial incentives - financial incentives in one of the most effective methods to
acknowledge the excellence of top sale performers as most sales persons choose sales
because of direct award for sales success.
b. Promotions – since promotions are more lasting and valuable reward it a key method of
acknowledging the excellence of top sales performance.
c. Public Recognitions - Public recognition aid in motivating the achievers in sales.
9. How would you monitor the success of the coaching program?
(6 marks – 2 marks per suggestion)
1. By using the informal assessment methods – informal assessment makes use of defined
success indicators to enable effective monitoring and includes brainstorming sessions at
work.
2. By tracking the behavior changes during the coaching program – this can be clearly noted
by a thorough scrutiny on the skill improvement of the sales persons during the coaching
program.
3. By using the formal assessment methods – formal assessment makes use of quantifiable
information to monitor the success of the coaching program and are inclusive of
structured interviews and assessment by testing.

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10. Briefly describe support programs and services that you could provide to employees. (4
marks – 2 marks per suggestion)
1. Health promotion services and wellness support programs inclusive of drug addiction,
stress management and safety programs and services.
2. Career counseling and work information support such as financial planning.
PART B
11. What is a Disciplinary Action? List 5 different examples of disciplinary actions. (5 marks – 1
mark per suggestion)
- Disciplinary Action refers to the process of solving work-related behaviors that fail to
meet the set performance standards.
- Disciplinary Actions includes.
i. Oral Reprimand or officially written reprimand.
ii. Indefinite Suspensions.
iii. Demotions.
iv. Detraction of benefits.
v. Termination.

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12. What steps should you follow when terminating the services of staffs? (6 Marks – 1 mark per
step)
i. Write down the employees’ performance level.
ii. Inform the staffs of their shortcomings – Clearly point to the staffs the outlined issues in
details especially in relation to the sales, for examples missed deadlines and not being
able to meet to set sales targets.
iii. Outline a special timeline and Plan for improvement – together with the staffs come up
with a clear improvement plan, and outline in details the various areas which are greatly
affected.
iv. Document the employees' improvement progress – prepare a precise documentation on
the improvement of the employee and if they fail to improve then prepare a well-noted
termination notice (Anon, 2016).
v. Have a one on one meeting with the staff - Invite the staff for a short meeting to let them
know that the services have been terminated and be precise and to the point.
vi. Listen to what the employee has to say – take essential notes of the employees’ remarks.
References

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Anon, 2016. Employee Termination. Disability Compliance for Higher Education, Volume Vol. 21(7), pp.
pp. 16-16.
Armstrong, M., 2015. Armstrong's Handbook of Performance Management: An Evidence-Based Guide to
Delivering High Performance. 5th Edition ed. London: Kogan Page.
Bolstorff, P. & Rosen Baum, R., 2012. Supply Chain Excellence: A Handbook for Dramatic Performance
Improvement Plan Using Scor Model. 3rd Edition ed. New York: American Management Association.
Dave., U., Borckdank, W. & Johnson, D., 2008. HR Competencies Mastery At the Intersection of People
and Business. Chicago: Society For Human Resource Management.
Flaherty, J., 2010. Coaching. 3rd Edition ed. Hoboken: Tailor and Francis.
Risha, H., 2011. Getting Performance Management on Track. Compensation and Benefits Review,
Volume Vol,43(5), pp. pp. 273-281.

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