So…here’s the situation pared down. It’s review time and one needs to be written on an employee who lacks a bit of focus and sense of scale. The issue is that the employee takes an all or nothing approach to things when it’s not appropriate.
For example: a memo goes out that says “we need to begin doing X on certain accounts when applicable…” and this person just starts doing X on everything they touch, when X isn’t appropriate to be done on every account, almost to the point of absurdity. It’s not that they don’t get it, it’s just that they go overboard on absolutely everything.
Or if training courses are going to be made availalbe, this employee signs up for every single possible one, even ones that don’t apply to their position (FYI there are more than 300 training modules available, most people do three or four. This person literally signed up for all 300, or approximately 1000 hours of paid on the job training - this is insane).
I don’t want to be too negative and resort to making it look like I’m against people being acheivers by any means, but I can’t keep writing “lacks focus” all over the place…so what would be a better way to phrase such things?
Something about a need to improve time management or prioritisation skills? Specific examples to illustrate will help, of course, but it sounds to me like maybe the person is doing all these things because either they think they have to do it all as soon as someone draws their attention to the new process, to do the job right, or they have no idea how long things take.
“Lacks the judgment to prioritize and make the best, most appropriate use of their time. Loses sight of the goal of a task or project in favor of doing the task or project by rote.”? (And yeah, include examples, I’m not sure my second sentence would make much sense without them.)
Honestly, it sounds like an attitude problem to me, short of this person legitimately not understanding what you’re asking. “Oh, you’re going to make me do X now? FINE, I’ll DO X!” If that’s it, I don’t personally see a problem with using the phrase “attitude problem” somewhere in there.
I would say, “Although [employee]'s efforts at incorporating suggestions into account management demonstrates a willingness to adapt, he/she needs to focus on applications which are more relevant to the goals in mind, rather than to all accounts indiscriminately.”
Regarding the training overzealousness, I would say “Employee should focus on attaining specific training goals related to employee’s current or future positions, and demonstrate the ability to incorporate that training into current projects.”
He’s a smart guy, and holds several degrees, it’s just that there’s no grey area when it comes to him, he’s all or nothing and I suspect it’s a very strange attempt to somehow game the system in his favor, when it’s actually doing the exact opposite.
It is most definately an attitude problem. Hmm…But keep 'em coming. You guys are coming up with great stuff.
Life’s too short to spend 8 hours a day with someone who has an attitude problem. Have you explained to him what the problem is? Has he made any attempt to change?
Honestly, I’m not even sure I could keep myself from blurting out “You signed up for a thousand hours of training? Are you insane?” just out of shock.
That’s exactly what we’re going to be doing with this review. However they are also for posterity so I need to write this up professionally and as solidly as possible.
It can be nearly impossible to use the Management Words that HR Wants To Hear and not Cluricaun Words that He Wants To Use sometimes.
I hate the word “prioritize” but since it is an HR word, no doubt, I agree it fits here.
How about “needs to learn to set achievable objectives” - which taking every class is not.
Plus - needs to work to further company objectives - which doing something to every account is not.
And, not to go on his form, is there some passive aggressiveness going on here? “They are going to make me take a class, so I’ll take all of them! That will show them. They are going to make me do X on some accounts. I’ll do it on all of them. That will show them!”
Or he could just be crazy.
How about something related to “lack of judgment”, since the problem seems to be that the person either can’t, or doesn’t take time to, judge how to correctly apply management instructions to their work? Maybe something along the lines of:
“Needs to show better judgment in applying management instructions to daily work tasks.”
or the more “HR sounding” (to me, at least):
“Needs to improve ability to appropriately apply management instructions to real world work situations.”
In either case, follow it with at least one example.
ETA: Sorry, didn’t notice that Kaio had already mentioned the lacking judgment approach.
I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion he has an attitude problem. Maybe he’s genuinely trying to get ahead. In his head he may be thinking, “If they want X on these, but I do X on all of them, that will show them how I’m going the extra mile.”
Has he been working there long enough to realize that management thinks doing this kind of stuff is ridiculous and wasteful?
I was wondering if this was his first ever real job. I almost sounds like severe lack of life skills. A thousand hours of training? Do you know what that would do to your brain?
I think your OP is perfectly clear and descriptive, stating the problem in generic terms and providing perfect examples, and you should put it in the review with only minor modification (removing the element that is asking us the question). I think if it is possible for this person to understand what he is doing, your OP would communicate successfully - and that in any case it will communicate efficiently with everybody else.
