Try to imagine this scenario. You hired a marginal person based on a great interview. You thought you found a winner. But after a few months, he or she is coming in tardy, leaving early, treating clients rudely, and even acting entitled to pay advances and vacations. Or a long-time employee suddenly turns negative and displays poor work habits. Your first inclination is to replace them. But you have invested time and money and hate to go through the long process of hiring. What should you do?
Put them on a "Critical Path"
When I was an industrial psychologist for New York Life, we put together a results-focused path that produced better performance in the beginning and tolerated zero at the end. Performance was reviewed on a daily basis. Since there was zero tolerance for a lack of adherence to the Critical Path, it was easy to see who would be successful and who needed to go.
Here is how to apply your own Critical Path method in your business:
1. Identify five or fewer behaviors necessary to change now. For new hires, specify behaviors that are necessary for a quick start to successful performance.
