Do you sometimes feel that all your time is focused on dealing with problem employees? It seems that when you're not addressing performance or discipline issues, you're creating new policies, procedures, and work rules that are geared to correct the bottom 10% of your workforce. In all my years in consulting, working with large organizations and small, I regularly hear this from executives who are totally exasperated by both employee issues and the inability to focus on anything else.

But how do you know when enough is enough? What barometers can you use to determine whether you’ve hit a wall and need to get some expert help? Here’s a quick quiz:

1. When recruiting, are you finding that the people coming through the door are not qualified to do the job?

2. When a new hire starts working, do you sometimes wonder: “Is this the same person I interviewed for the job?”

3. Are your employees not learning the job as fast as you need them to?

4. Are your supervisors ill equipped to manage their employees?

5. Are you losing top performers because you haven’t been able to provide them enough challenge?

6. Do you often wonder what the heck your employees are thinking?

7. Do you find that increases in wages do not result in any increase in productivity?

8. Do conducting performance appraisals seem to create more problems than they’re worth?

9. Do injured workers seem to stay out of work longer than you think they should?

10. Do you often wonder if some employees are even going to show up for work?

11. Does it seem like your turning over people at a faster rate than you can replace them?

12. Is it sometimes easier to do the job yourself rather than try to train someone to do it?

13. Do you often hear “it’s not my job”?

14. Do you struggle to get projects done on time and within budget?

15. Are you unsure of your obligations under the law?

16. Do you find yourself so focused on problem solving that you have no time to think about innovation?

17. Do you sense that your employees are not focused on the customer?

18. When dealing with employees, do you constantly worry that you might get sued?

19. Is soliciting ideas and suggestions from your employees like pulling teeth?

20. Do you sometimes feel that things just aren’t working?

If you answered “yes” to more than 2 or 3 of these, you’ve got problems. Things need to change—and need to change now. Get some professional help. If you are to survive and prosper, you need to start doing things differently. Successful organizations depend on well trained, engaged employees. When your workforce is operating effectively, you will find that you are in better control and problems with employees disappear.

Rick Dacri is an organizational development consultant, coach and featured speaker at regional and national conferences. Since 1995 his firm, Dacri & Associates (http://www.dacri.com) has focused on improving the performance of individuals and organizations. Rick publishes a monthly newsletter, the Dacri Report (http://www.dacri.com/enewsletter.htm) with the intent to provide clients and friends critical information on issues that impact them, their organization and their employees. Rick can be reached at 1-800-892-9828, or [email protected]

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