Hospitality Human Resources Management and Supervision Facilitating Employees’ Work Performance Chapter 5

Hospitality Human Resources Management and Supervision

Facilitating Employees’ Work Performance

Chapter 5

Learning ObjectivesAfter completing this chapter, you should be able to:

• Explain basic communication skills and challenges for restaurant and foodservice managers.

• State procedures for coaching employees.

• Describe procedures for resolving employee conflicts.

• Explain procedures for managing change.

• State basic procedures for conducting performance appraisals.

Learning Objectives continued:After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

• Explain steps in a progressive discipline program.

• Describe procedures for employee termination.

Chapter 5 Facilitating Employees’ Work Performance

COMMUNICATIONBasic Communication Skills

Speak Like a Pro


Use the Telephone Like a Pro

Listen Like a Pro

Write Like a Pro


Barriers to Effective Communication

Managing the Grapevine

Nonverbal Communication


COACHINGOverview of the Coaching Process


Coaching Principles


MANAGING CONFLICTConflict Resolution Strategies

Conflict Resolution Steps



MANAGING CHANGEThe Challenge of Change

Change Strategies

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Managers as Change Agents


Steps for Implementing Change


EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALSPerformance Appraisal Procedures



Discussing Performance Problems


PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE PROCEDURESWhat Is Progressive Discipline?

Common Steps in Progressive DisciplineOral Warning

Written Warning

Probation



Improvement Timelines

Consistent Management Actions

Helping Employees Be Successful


EMPLOYEE TERMINATIONOperating Impacts of Termination

Voluntary Termination

Involuntary TerminationCommon Causes


Termination Process

Exit Interviews



Separation Checklists



Chapter 5 Facilitating Employees’ Work Performance - Summary

1. Explain basic communication skills and challenges for restaurant and foodservice managers.

• Managers represent the operation, themselves, and their employees.

• They must use effective speaking and listening skills during personal interactions, with groups, and on the telephone, and they should recognize that what they say may not be what is understood.

• Managers should write by using an introduction, organized discussion, and conclusion and avoiding writing pitfalls.

• Many barriers can interfere with communication including misunderstandings about the meaning of words, jargon, gestures, cultural differences, and assumptions.

• Other communication problems include attitude issues, a distracting workplace, timing, clarity of the message, and tone of voice.

• Each establishment has an informal “grapevine.”


1. Explain basic communication skills and challenges for restaurant and foodservice managers continued…

• The manager should know how to counter rumors.

• Examples include questioning whether the rumor is true and whether the person spreading the rumor has access to the information on which the rumor is based.

• Another tactic is to not repeat the information.

• Nonverbal communication refers to expressions and movements, which provide additional information.

• Examples include pacing, slouching, and pointing.

• Managers should try to eliminate nonverbal communication practices that are negative.


2. State procedures for coaching employees.

• Coaching involves informal efforts to improve performance and should be ongoing to reinforce proper behavior and correct negative performance.

• Effective practices include being tactful, focusing on behavior, emphasizing the positive, demonstrating procedures, and explaining reasons for changes.

• Managers should maintain communication with employees, conduct negative coaching in private, evaluate work against standards, reinforce all correct performance, and ask employees how work can be improved.


3. Describe procedures for resolving employee conflicts.

• Conflict resolution encourages finding solutions before more serious procedures are needed.

• Conflict typically occurs because of disagreement about work or personality clashes, and resolution strategies include negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.

• Steps to resolve conflict include identifying concerns, determining facts, developing and communicating the resolution, documenting the agreement, and following up.


4. Explain procedures for managing change.

• Change may affect few employees or all.

• A common model for change incorporates three strategies: unfreezing the situation, transitioning to change, and refreezing the situation.

• Many employees resist change because they do not want to learn new ways of doing things or are fearful of closer supervision during changes.

• Strategies to reduce resistance include using a participative management style, informing employees about changes that affect them, setting an appropriate time for the change, and sharing past successes.

• Employees may be rewarded for sharing beneficial ideas.

• Managers must be change agents and recognize that each change improves the operation.


4. Explain procedures for managing change continued…

• The best managers believe in the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process.

• Implementing change begins with discussing the need and requesting employees’ assistance.

• Final steps are implementing plans and following up with recognition and evaluation.


5. State basic procedures for conducting performance appraisals.• Managers use performance appraisals to discuss performance, establish goals, review issues, talk about development, and document performance.

• Basic procedures involve preparing by gathering information and allowing the employee to complete a self-evaluation form.

• During the meeting, the employee should be asked to review performance and then discuss possible areas of improvement and development plans.

• At the close, the manager should provide a summary, ask for comments, and determine whether any follow-up meetings are needed.

• In discussing problems, observed performance should be compared with standard operating procedures and the gap identified.


5. State basic procedures for conducting performance appraisals continued…

• Reasons should be determined, conversations or retraining should be used, and behavior should be monitored to ensure the problem is resolved.

• If not, follow-up disciplinary action may be needed.


6. Explain steps in a progressive discipline program.

• Progressive discipline assists in bringing performance up to standards.

• Its objectives are to minimize misunderstandings, ensure the employee is given evidence and opportunity to improve, reduce terminations, and ensure documentation.

• Common steps include oral warning, written warning, probation, and termination.

• Timelines should be reasonable but recognize that the operation is affected until performance goals are met.

• Workplace rules and standards must be clearly written and comply with legal standards, and all goals should be achievable and measurable.

• Managers have the responsibility to help employees improve, and this can be done through training followed by coaching.


7. Describe procedures for employee termination.

• Establishments benefit when employees who leave voluntarily provide reasonable notice.

• Managers can determine when employees who will be involuntarily terminated are removed.

• Employees are involuntarily terminated for one or more of four reasons: lack of work, lack of funding, unsatisfactory performance, or violation of company policy.

• First, managers must use progressive discipline to help employees become productive or find another position, taking steps to prevent wrongful discharge.

• Involuntary termination can occur as the final step in progressive discipline.

• It can also occur as a result of a terminable act that causes immediate termination.


7. Describe procedures for employee termination continued…

• The cause of termination must be identified and the manager must ensure proper documentation.

• Necessary approvals and legal advice should be obtained, termination package documents must be assembled, and a meeting with the employee should be held.

• The employee must surrender all company property, and security changes should be made as needed.

• Exit interviews help managers learn about concerns, reasons for leaving, and suggestions.

• These interviews can use an unstructured approach or a structured approach in which the manager asks specific questions.

• Separation checklists provide a list of activities that must be completed for departing employees.

• The completed checklist should be placed in the employee’s file.


Key Terms:Arbitration A process in which a neutral third party listens and reviews facts and makes a decision to settle a conflict.

Benchmarking Any activity that helps identify and analyze best practices to discover ways to improve performance.

Change agent A person who leads change in an organization.

COBRA A law that extends healthcare coverage for a limited time at group rates for people who would otherwise lose their insurance.

Conflict resolution A process that encourages finding solutions to problems before more formal grievance procedures are needed.

Environmental noise Any sound, such as loud talking or blaring radios, that interferes with communication.

Exit interview A meeting between an employee who is leaving and a manager or someone from the operation’s human resources department.


Key Terms continued:

Grapevine An informal channel of communication that relies on word of mouth to transmit information.

Insubordination The failure to follow reasonable instructions.

Involuntary termination A situation in which managers terminate an employee for one or more of these four reasons: lack of work for the employee, lack of funding, unsatisfactory performance, or violation ofa company policy.

Mediation A process in which a neutral third party facilitates a discussion of difficult issues and makes suggestions about an agreement.Multiple-choice question A question with a set number of answer choices.

Jargon Technical language specific to an occupation or field of study.

Negotiation A discussion between involved persons with the goal of reaching an acceptable agreement.



Nonverbal communication A speaker’s expressions and movements that tell additional information about the message.

Participative management A leadership method that increases the quality of decision making by involving employees.

Probation A specific time period during which an employee must consistently meet job standards or other reasonable conditions imposed by the manager as a condition for continued employment.

Separation checklist A list of activities to be completed for employees who are leaving the organization.

Progressive discipline A series of corrective actions that become more serious as unacceptable performance continues.

Structured interview An interview in which the manager asks a set of specific questions.

Terminable act An action by an employee that typically causes immediate termination.



Unstructured interview An interview in which the manager conducts a conversation with the potential employee without prepared questions.Voluntary termination A situation in which an employee decides to leave the organization for personal reasons.

W-2 income tax form An information form completed by employers and sent to the federal taxing authorities, used to report wages and salaries paid to employees and taxes withheld.

Wrongful discharge A legal action taken by a former employee against a previous employer, alleging that the discharge was in violation of state or federal antidiscrimination laws, public policy, or an implied contract, agreement, or written promise.


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Hospitality Human Resources Management and Supervision Facilitating Employees’ Work Performance Chapter 5