Why Won't Employees Do What They Are Supposed To Do?

In the classic book, Coaching for Improved Work Performance, author F.F. Fournies presents a list of reasons that people do not perform well in the workplace . These are the “crickets in their shoes” that I mentioned in my earlier post.  In the coming weeks, we will take a look at those reasons and how you should deal with each situation.  Employees may be under-performing because:

·    They don’t know what they are supposed to do.
·    They don’t know how to do it.
·    They don’t understand the importance of doing it.
·    They think they are doing it.
·    There are obstacles beyond their control.
·    They think it will not work.
·    They think their way is better.
·    They think something else is more important.
·    There is no positive consequence to them for doing it.
·    There is a negative consequence to them for doing it.
·    There is a positive consequence to them for not doing it.
·    There is no negative consequence to them for not doing it.
·    They do not have the capacity to do it.
·    They have personal problems.
·    They are fearful of doing it.
·    It can’t be done.

It is only through correctly identifying performance problems and applying appropriate remedies that we can expect to see positive returns on the time we invest in coaching and mentoring.

What To Do When Someone Won't Wear Their Shoes

Sometimes, as coaches, we think that it is our job to herd people in the direction that we want them to go by using our arsenal of good advice. We assume that they are not experiencing success because they either don't know how to perform or are unwilling to change. We rush in to fix the problem and set the person back on "the right path". (warning: ego spoiler)...frankly, that is arrogance on our part.

You see, the only way to know what is holding someone back from achieving a goal is to take the time to listen to her. You might be surprised at what you find out. For example,

One day, when my daughter was very young, I announced that we were going to take a walk. I pulled her shoes from the closet and slipped them on her feet, then scooped her up and headed for the door. She immediately began to squirm and struggle to get down. I scolded her for being uncooperative, but she only began to cry and struggle even more furiously to get down. Annoyed, I firmly sat her on the couch and and in a stern voice told her that her behavior was inappropriate and that sometimes she had to do things she didn't want to do. She just cried harder and kicked her feet. Finally, in exasperation, I asked her what was so bad about going to the park for a walk. She replied, "'I'll have to wear these shoes!" And with that pronouncement, she pulled the little shoe from her foot. Out hopped a cricket.

So, there is the moral of the story. When you can't get someone to move toward a goal you have set for them, don't assume it is because they are being obstinate. Instead, take the time to listen to what they are saying (you can't do that if you came prepared to do all the talking).They may not have anything at all against the goal itself, they may simply have a cricket in their shoe. If you get rid of the cricket, the rest may be a "walk in the park".