Correcting an employee’s work is never easy, especially if they are sensitive to their performance and don’t take criticism kindly. In this situation, you should take into account the following tips:

* Schedule a meeting: Scheduling a meeting is the best way to avoid embarrassment. Being able to talk to the employee privately allows you to ask questions about a project assignment, a sales meeting, or other job responsibilities.

Discussing poor job performance in front of other employees is unprofessional and can upset everyone in the office.

* Be courteous when mentioning the problem: Always be professional when mentioning work performance problems. While you can be assertive, you must not intimidate employees in any way. When asking questions, confirm with the team member where the issue or error is and ask for ideas on how to address the situation. Taking a step-by-step approach to corrective feedback can increase objectivity:

o Identify the specific situation or task that needs to be addressed

o Identify performance that did not meet expectations

o Highlight the potential outcome of this inappropriate action

o Identify desired alternative performance

o Highlight the potential outcome of this desired performance

By staying calm and objective, you can prevent employees from making the same mistake again.

* Schedule a follow-up meeting – To prevent a problem from happening again, you should monitor the employee’s performance and schedule a follow-up meeting. If the problem has been corrected, let the employee know that you have made improvements. If not, question the employee and find out why he continues to make the same mistakes.

*Assign additional training – If you think the problem can be corrected, assign additional training or mentoring so the employee can develop the skills needed to meet performance expectations. Often times, additional training is all an employee needs to get back on track.

Unfortunately, many managers and team leaders don’t take the time to find out why an employee has made a mistake in the workplace. By talking to the employee and trying to find solutions, you are showing your employees that you care about their job performance and that you want them to be successful. As a result, they are more likely to come to you for advice, assistance and to express any concerns they may have.

Creating a positive work environment begins when managers learn how to raise issues that need to be addressed in a professional manner. Additional training, mentoring, and support can prevent employees from making the same mistakes twice.