Excuses can occur in every type of supervisor/employee interaction. Examples include a supervisor:

• Giving constructive feedback to an employee about some aspect of the employee’s performance
• Coaching an employee to help the employee improve performance in a specific area
• Discussing an employee’s past performance during a performance appraisal discussion

Excuses can also arise in interactions between peers and between a team leader and a team member. In short, excuses occur in many different types of interaction situations and on an almost daily basis.

Despite their frequency, few supervisors know how to handle excuses effectively. The three most common and ineffective ways supervisors deal with excuses are: (1) accept the excuse outright without question, (2) discount the excuse by suggesting it’s not important, or (3) argue about the legitimacy of the excuse.

In this session, you will learn to recognize and categorize employee excuses into one of four types and guidelines for responding to each type. A job aid also will be provided listing the four categories of excuses and a definition of each, sample excuse statements, and guidelines for how to respond to each type of excuse.

Attendees will learn

• A 7-step process for conducting coaching discussions.
• The three most common and ineffective ways supervisors deal with excuses.
• The four types of employee excuses and how to recognize each type.
• Two techniques for quickly and permanently disarming employee excuses and getting a performance discussion back on track.
   

Who should attend

• Training and HR professionals
• Independent consultants
• Managers delivering training