Sooner or later, almost all managers or supervisors need to counsel or discipline an employee – whether it’s for poor performance or unacceptable behavior. In some cases, the situation might lead to the termination of the employee. However, it is estimated that turnover in a position costs an organization 1.2-to-2 times that position’s annual salary. The time lost to the termination process, selection, orientation and training of the new employee can cut significantly into overall productivity. The termination process also holds the potential for legal repercussions for the organization.

In most instances, however, the effective manager or supervisor can use the techniques presented in this series to turn around these "problem" employee situations, saving the organization its considerable investment in the employee. In addition, appropriate performance counseling can also save both the manager and the problem employee from a damaging or traumatic emotional experience. Step-by-step, you will learn to use these practices to manage effectively and to avoid the chronic drain of subpar performance and behavior.