Are individual members of your team underperforming, not doing what you have asked of them, and not delivering what is expected of them? Do you find yourself dreading having to address their poor performance?

Dealing with poor performance is something that many people struggle with but as an RVN it is something that may be required of your role. I advocate taking a two-pronged approach:

•Understand your strengths and weaknesses when communicating with others

•Develop a plan and a structure for assessing and managing the performance concerns

It is essential to identify your own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to managing the performance of others. Do you have a lack of confidence in your ability to manage people? Alternatively, do you find discussing poor performance with others too confrontational? Do you feel that people just don’t listen to you when you try to direct them during the course of the day? How do you feel when you are giving performance feedback, which areas are easier for you, and which do you find harder? Reflecting on the answers to these questions can provide the answers to what holds you back from dealing with confrontation/performance issues in the first place.

Author

Carolyne Crowe BSc BVetMed Dip Coaching, Dip Stress Management and Wellbeing MRCVS

Carolyne was an equine veterinary surgeon for 11 years before completing a diploma in personal performance coaching. She is an accredited master trainer in DiSC behavioural profiling, a Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) trainer in Stress Management and Wellbeing, an Honorary Lecturer of Liverpool University and is currently undertaking a Master’s Degree in Workplace Health and Wellbeing at Nottingham University Medical School.

Keywords: Features, Performance, Managing

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 30 • December 2015 • pp356-358

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