If you have been in a leadership position for more than 24 hours then you have already experienced problems of one type or another. What are your options when the problem is one of your associates?

You actually have several options to handle situations with associates; one would be to ignore it, another to fire them. The other would be to try and figure out why they have become a problem and that is the option that I believe works best. Let's consider a few things, you interviewed countless applicants to select your team and hired the ones that met your guide lines and you feel comfortable with. You feel very confident that you have made wise decisions on your selections. In addition you have spent allot of time training and educating your team on company policies and procedures. Considering all of this you owe it to yourself and the associate to try and resolve any problems that are affecting their performance. It could possibly be an easier solution than having to hire and train a new associate which will take weeks to complete.

The one on one private discussion that is being done with sincerity and compassion can be a remarkable tool. It is quite possible that you can resolve any issues easily once you know what they are. Let me use an example from many years ago, I had an associate that was very good, I noticed one day her performance was not at the normal level for her. I didn't think too much about it and let it go, everyone has bad days. I noticed a week later that she was still performing below expectations, I realized that something had to be done and quite honestly I was upset with myself for letting it go on for so long. We had a one on one discussion and she explained her issues of which were realistically quite easy for me to fix. I had lost allot of hours of optimal performance because I didn't take the time to find out what the problem was sooner rather than later.

In addition this also builds trust with your team displaying that you genuinely care about them and their future. A leader that takes time to work with their team will reap outstanding benefits, try it and you will see what I mean.

About the author:Ron Kirby is a world traveled educational and motivational speaker that has over 37 years of Leadership experiences in Corporate America and the Marine Corps. His passion is speaking on Leadership concerning Business Growth, Personal Development, Innovation, and Educational Experiences. Sergeant Major Kirby served 32 years in the United States Marine Corps. Ron takes great pride in the fact he has contributed to the Leadership and promotion success for countless individuals during both his military and corporate career. Invite Ron to make your next event a smashing success! Contact him by phone at (843) 304-6111 or by email at RBKSR51@HOTMAIL.COM. Read more about his background at http://www.egSebastian.com/RonK