3 Things to Do When the Employee You Just Promoted Is Underperforming
After years of climbing the corporate ladder, developing a person's skillsets, and mentoring them for the next chapter, you've decided it's time to finally grant that promotion. The employee has undoubtedly deserved to take that next step, complete with a title change, salary increase, profit-sharing perks, and maybe even that coveted corner office.
And then, things take a turn for the worse. Complaints from their colleagues, slipping numbers, and an overall drop in performance have now come to your attention. Now you can't help but feel one a deep sense of regret. Were you wrong about this person, after all?
It can feel like a blow to have someone you've groomed to take over become a huge disappointment. It feels like a personal reflection of your leadership. Where did you go wrong?
But not all is lost quite yet. Here are three things to do to try and turn things around.
1. Act fast.
If there's one piece of advice you take away from this article, let it be this: don't wait. The longer you let things slide, the more it havoc it can cause. The first sign of performance falling or an ego rising needs to be addressed immediately. Otherwise, relationships will become strained, the company suffers, and morale goes out the window. And then there are your own stress levels to consider.
There's no time like the present. Act fast and swiftly. Is the team they're managing complaining about their leadership style? Address it in 24 hours of the complaint. If you see that the person is struggling in the new role, don't throw him in the deep end and hope he learns to swim. Be the liferaft that can bring him back on course.
2. Have you set expectations?
Just because you're clear on what's expected of them, doesn't mean they are. Unfortunately, not everyone "gets it". People need clear goals and guidelines on how they should perform in their new role. What may seem obvious to you isn't to others, especially if this is their first time in a management position.
It's time to get real specific. From sales goals to leadership techniques to office conduct, don't leave any areas grey. Make things black and white. In other words, no you can't spend $1,000 on a new television screen for your office, or ask your executive assistant to wash your car. Yes, you are expected to do quarterly one-on-ones with each staff member and report their feedback, good and bad, to your superiors.
3. Set a deadline.
Now that you've addressed the issue and set expectations, it's time to keep the person accountable. Give them three months to start turning things around. Whether that's improving their management skills, hitting their sales numbers, toning down their entitlement, or a combination of all three, let them know that you need to see a drastic improvement by a certain date.
Then, follow-up on that. Talk to the people on their team and the clients they deal with to see if things have improved. Ask for a full sales report, as well as a strategy to continue upward trajectories. While no one likes to babysit, if you saw enough potential in the person to give them the promotion in the first place, give them a chance to prove themselves in the position.
And what happens if things don't get better? Well, you know what to do. If it turns out they're not cut out for the role like you'd hoped, there's only one place for them to go, and that's out the door.
Demotions or "re-training" is not going to be good for you or them. They've had their chance to prove their title, and unfortunately, they've lost it. Now you've got to do what's right for your business, and reassess the next time you offer the next title bump.
Published on: Jan 28, 2020
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Limit access to things puppies like to chew when you aren't around to teach them
Q We've always had multiple dogs and now own a black lab who is 9 months old. She is the easiest puppy in the world to potty train, but I have never had a dog chew so much. We have toys and chewies all over the floor and in a toy box, and yet I have lost three pairs of shoes, Christmas decorations, gloves, plants and baskets.
I have a spray that is supposed to taste awful that I am spraying on things and also in her mouth, so she realizes it is nasty. I don't want to have to crate her again. She is with our 11-year-old dog during the day on the main level of the house. Do you have any ideas on how to stop the chewing?
-- Jeri, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
A Your girl will be a puppy until she is about 18 months to 2 years old, and puppies like to chew. Labs are easy to train though, so here is what I suggest.
Reduce her access to things she can chew. Be vigilant about keeping closets closed, shoes put away, and doors shut to rooms when you can't be present to supervise her. She can't learn right from wrong when you are not around to tell her, so she develops the chewing habit when you're not home or around.
When you are away from home, keep her in a pet-proofed room so she doesn't have access to things she can chew. Leave her with things she is allowed to chew, like stuffed animals or a Kong with treats frozen inside to keep her mind busy. (Don't leave food treats if it will cause your two dogs to fight.)
When you are home, make sure there are things around that she can chew, but shouldn't, and train her to "drop it" or "leave it" if she goes after one. For example, if she picks up a shoe, tell her to "drop it" and hold out a treat so she will. When she drops it, give her a reward word like "bingo" to let her know she did what you asked, followed by the treat. Pick up the shoe and put it back to its original location. If she wanders over to it again, tell her to "leave it," followed by the reward word and treat again.
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Put one of the toys she can chew in front of her along with a treat. It won't take long for her to learn what she is allowed to chew and not chew.
Keep in mind, corrections are always verbal, and training is always positive. I say this because you mention spraying what I can only assume is Bitter Apple into her mouth. Bitter Apple is an awful scent sprayed on items to discourage a dog from chewing. So, continue using the Bitter Apple on items you don't want her to chew, but do not spray any of it in her mouth, as that is a form of punishment and doesn't teach her anything. In fact, she may chew more just to get the awful taste out of her mouth.
Train her when you are home as to what is off-limits and what is allowed; pet-proof a room/area that she can be in when you are not home; leave her with toys she can chew; and be patient, as she is still a puppy and will eventually outgrow this behavior with the proper supervision and guidance from you.
Q I'm curious as to why dog owners apparently feel their dogs can urinate wherever the urge occurs. I've observed dogs urinate on my trees, lawn and flowers while their owners calmly look on.
-- Howard, Oceanside, New York
A Most of the time people are walking their dogs so the dogs can relieve themselves. Male dogs in particular like to mark everything. It's how they communicate with other dogs who have taken that same walk.
While dog owners can't control when their dog decides to urinate or defecate, they always should clean up their animal's feces and avoid yards whose owners might be upset if their dogs urinates there. If it bothers you, have a gentle talk with your neighbors and ask them to steer clear of your yard. If it helps, though, I have not seen a plant die from a dog peeing on it.
(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)
By Cathy M. Rosenthal
5 things that can mess with your blood sugar that have nothing to do with food, according to a dietitian
Sorry, green juice: It seems that everyone in the wellness world is currently focused on optimizing their blood sugar levels. People are all about eating low glycemic index foods for stable energy levels, mental health experts stress the surprising connection between sugar and anxiety, and some people even advocate for everyone to regularly track their blood glucose—not just diabetics—as a preventative health measure.
The fixation on blood sugar (or blood glucose) makes sense, given that how much you have in your system can have a trickle-down effect on health. When blood sugar levels rise, this signals the release of the hormone insulin to transport glucose from the blood and into your cells to be used for energy. This is a normal, essential, and healthy bodily process, but it becomes a problem when blood sugar levels rise too high and too quickly—like after eating a high sugar, low fiber food. If you have a very steep and quick rise in blood sugar, that drop will follow, which can leave you tired, cranky, and craving more sugar, says Charlotte Martin, RDN.
Constantly high (or spiking) blood sugar levels can have long-term consequences, too. “Consistently elevated blood sugar levels—known as hyperglycemia—can damage the vessels that supply blood to vital organs, which can increase the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and kidney disease,” says Martin.
One of the biggest factors that directly impacts blood sugar levels is, well, food—particularly carbohydrates that lack fiber or protein to help slow down the absorption of sugar, says Martin. However, there are some other factors beyond what you put on your plate that can disrupt your natural blood sugar balance. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Chronic stress
Surprise, surprise, stress is the worst. When you are stressed, the body responds by releasing the hormone cortisol (also known as the stress hormone) in order to give you the energy you’d need to escape or fight back against a threat.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, per se. “[Cortisol] causes changes in our blood flow and stimulates the liver to produce glucose, which is meant to fuel the muscles and give the body a natural energy boost for a quick reaction to a threat,” Martin says.
However, if you’re chronically stressed, you’re regularly releasing cortisol, and thus regularly asking your liver to make glucose, gradually increasing the amounts of sugar you have in your bloodstream—and the amount of insulin required to remove it from your blood. This can have serious future implications for health if gone unchecked, Martin says. “Chronic stress and chronically elevated cortisol and insulin levels can contribute to sustained insulin resistance,” she says, a condition that is a precursor to type 2 diabetes and other health issues.
That’s why it’s essential to prioritize self-care, good sleep, and regular exercise in order to combat the effects of chronic stress. Adding certain things to your diet, like magnesium-rich foods, ashwagandha, and omega-3s (from fatty fish or a supplement) can also help you prevent and cope with stress, Martin adds.
2. Poor sleep
The relationship between sleep and blood sugar levels can be a vicious cycle. “The body perceives lack of sleep as a stressor, and responds to it in a similar way,” Martin says. A bad night of sleep can lead to high blood sugar levels as well disrupted hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin, which can make you eat more than you normally would during the day, further raises your blood sugar. High blood sugar levels can then impair sleep quality and duration, continuing the cycle. Consider this yet another reason to ensure you have good “sleep hygiene.”
3. Having a cold
When you get sick, whether it’s a minor cold or something more serious, the body handles it as a stressor. “This causes the body to release hormones that help control stress and fight the illness,” says Martin. “As a part of the body’s defense mechanisms for handling stress and fighting illness, glucose is released into the bloodstream, causing higher blood sugar levels,” she says.
It’s always best to try and nip the sickness in the bud ASAP—so you a) feel better and b) can keep your blood sugar and heart health in check. “Things you can do to prevent or shorten the duration of a cold include staying hydrated, resting, and taking an elderberry supplement,” Martin says. Elderberries are a natural immune booster packed with antioxidants to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms—just talk with your doctor before taking one to ensure it won’t mess with any other medications you’re taking.
4. Not working out
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to increase insulin sensitivity and to stabilize blood sugar. “During exercise, your body burns glycogen, the storage form of glucose in the muscles,” Martin says. “After exercise, it helps move glucose in the bloodstream into the muscles to replenish these glycogen stores, and promotes an immediate increase in insulin sensitivity.”
Conversely, a sustained lack of physical activity can cause your blood sugar levels to spike, so you don’t want to be too sedentary unless you’re sick or recovering from an injury. In fact, one study found that just three days of inactivity caused an increase in blood sugar levels in otherwise healthy individuals. Yikes.
Exercise can also help you cope with stress and improve sleep quality, two other factors that can impact blood sugar balance. But don’t feel like you need to sweat for hours in order for your workout to “count,” says Martin. “Even a walk around your neighborhood, a quick 15-minute workout video, or household chores like gardening and vacuuming can get your heart and muscles pumping,” she says. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
5. Your period
Hormones control the various stages of a person’s menstrual cycle (specifically, estrogen and progesterone, along with a few others), and the fluctuations in those hormones can trickle down to your blood sugar levels. “Different stages of the menstrual cycle can have different effects on blood sugar levels, and this can vary from [person to person],” says Martin.
For example, some small studies have reported elevated blood glucose levels in women right before their periods, likely because of the rapid decrease in estrogen and progesterone that happen during that time. Other research has found that women with Type 1 diabetes are particularly sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and their impacts on blood sugar—especially right before their periods.
“Although these fluctuations are very normal, if high blood sugar levels are of concern to you, greater emphasis on diet control and exercise during the week before your period can help stabilize blood sugar levels,” Martin says. People with type 1 or 2 diabetes in particular should talk to their doctors about management strategies.
Looking for better sleep tonight? Here’s the perfect snack for you. And if you’re interested in regular blood sugar control, here’s what you should know about the glycemic index.
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