Tip #9: Take timely and effective action where needed.
Let's recap. In the first five tips, we outlined ways to define and communicate your agency's goals and how you plan to get there:
- Establish and communicate clear expectations and guidelines.
- Choose the caseload model which best fits the needs of your agency.
- Create and assign realistic and equitable caseloads.
- Create a caseload and accuracy plan with specific performance standards.
- Create practical work systems and work processes to ensure consistency.
Next, we discussed monitoring results:
- Design a quality-control system.
- Gather data using tools to clearly and quickly identify problem areas.
- Analyze results through reports.
Now, let's talk about taking action. The HCV manager is responsible for setting up a leadership system which is documented, communicated, and followed by everyone. The manager must evaluate staff and take action where needed, with an emphasis on production, accuracy, and customer service. The emphasis on production and quality will result in elevated performance, and you may eventually be able to complete the job with fewer people. This could result in higher salaries for high-performing employees.
Many agencies allow average performers to become the standard, and some even allow poor performers to set the standard. In a smaller program, one person not performing well can have a major negative impact on the program. In larger programs, a few poor performers may not have such a big impact, but if they aren't dealt with, it will cause morale problems for the rest of the staff and the poor performers will eventually set the standard.
If a manager doesn't rehabilitate or terminate poor performers, morale drops and staff may become demotivated. They will resent having to do the additional work of the poor performer(s) who are probably paid at the same rate. If poor performers aren't dealt with and put on a performance improvement path, good performers will eventually leave, and you'll be left with a substandard staff. Next week, we'll discuss how you can take action to ensure this doesn't happen.
Next: Achieving high performance in the HCV program: Tip #10
While serving as executive director of a Minnesota housing authority, Nan McKay started one of the nation’s first Section 8 programs. The agency was subsequently honored with a HUD award as one of 13 outstanding Section 8 programs in the country.
Founder and president of Nan McKay and Associates, she has devoted the past two years to redesigning NMA’s HCV Executive Management course, as well as rewriting the HCV Executive Management Master Book with Bill Caltabiano. The tips and systems described above are thoroughly explored in both, with many forms available on a CD.
