P. 10 Performance management – a four-step action plan. Step 1: Preparing for the meeting Before you meet with an employee, it’s important to observe and document results that demonstrate the job performance issue. Draft an agenda for your meeting and keep your agenda fact-based and focused on workplace performance. This will help you stay focused on key concerns you need to raise during the meeting. If you think that you need additional support preparing for, holding or following up on the meeting, speak to your Human Resources department as appropriate. Use the points below as a guide to preparing an agenda: • Determine the purpose: clearly identify why you are meeting • Identify the benefit of the meeting to the employee and list why it is important to him or her Contact your Human Resources department to make sure you are following your organization’s protocols. • List an employee’s positive contributions to demonstrate that he or she is valued • List the areas of performance or behavioral concerns • List concrete examples of a specific performance or behavioral concern • Identify expected improvements and time framesfor change • Allow time for the employee to confirm his or herunderstanding of what has been discussed • Create an action plan Remember to document performance issues that you, as a manager or supervisor, have witnessed or experienced. Third-party information or hearsay should be investigated before being put on the agenda. As a leader, your job is to ensure that you have objective and non-biased reporting and documentation of the issues.