We typically get hired because we have strengths that will help the organization, but we all have weaknesses too. If things are not going well, the supervisor’s job includes acting on it right away so the problem doesn’t get worse. We know from experience that if problems are not acted on, they do become worse and can easily become chronic.

In case you are wondering, it is rarely too early to react to a performance problem. Looking the other way or wishing the problem didn’t exist, are not on the supervisor’s list of options. Bringing a performance problem to an employee’s attention can easily generate a defensive reaction, even if the focus is on performance and behavior rather than on personality and attitude, but the supervisor can use some techniques to reduce a negative reaction.

In productive discussions, the focus is kept on the problem behavior, not on the employee. Most of the time is spent talking about the future and the solution, as opposed to the past and the cause.