At some point in their career, most employees experience the dreaded moment of having the boss hand them a disciplinary letter. Perhaps things are going great for the worker, with awards, achievements, and praises from coworkers. Suddenly the rug is pulled out from the employee with the manager putting him or her on job probation. Why would the boss hand the worker an employee warning letter when he or she has been doing so well?
It could be political. The boss wants to show superiors that he or she is proactively managing the group and keeping a watchful eye on employee productivity. Maybe the manager wants to place another person in the position, or a reorganization is taking place. From a legal perspective, the disciplinary letter is the first step in getting the worker out the door – thus if the employee sues, the company can simply say it was because of poor job performance, not wrongful termination.
Don’t Overreact to a Disciplinary Letter
After receiving a disciplinary letter, it is very tempting to crumple it up and become defensive and belligerent. Although the worker may feel that most of the letter is a bunch of lies or obvious office politics, take a deep breath and begin to focus on how to best approach each weakness the boss has pointed out.
Never threaten to quit the job – this will backfire as human resources managers already know employees are easily replaceable. Loudly complaining about the probationary warning to coworkers will likewise result in being shown the door. Rather, consider the disciplinary action as a chance to improve job skills for the next employment opportunity.
Create a Job Skills Improvement Plan of Action
Sit down at a computer and type out what to do to improve job skills according to the written warning. Perhaps the worker could improve his or her organizational skills in order to complete projects in a more timely manner. Purchasing a whiteboard may help in this case – an easy way to track projects and brainstorm.
Establish concrete goals for improvement. Create cheat sheets by printing out the job skills improvement action plan and placing it in plain sight (e.g., next to the computer). These should include general goals for improving communication, prioritization, team building, and organization. Cheat sheets can also include reminders such as keyboard commands and daily tasks.
The key to improving job performance after disciplinary action is to remain calm, cool, and collected despite what the boss has written. Don’t go around the office loudly complaining about it, and don’t threaten to quit the job. Create a plan of action which includes concrete goals for improving job performance. Create cheat sheets as a reminder of the plan of action.
Upon final performance review, be tactful and diplomatic with the manager and explain what changes have been made to improve. Always maintain a humble attitude, stressing to the boss a strong willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed – a real “can-do” team player who takes the disciplinary letter as a chance to improve job skills rather than an affront or personal attack.
Daniel Gansle - Daniel J. Gansle is the author of 2012: Day of Reckoning, graduate of Anthropological Studies and expert in ancient Mayan culture.
