There’s nothing wrong with having a perfectionist on your team. Their drive to continually raise the bar and their attention to detail can sometimes save your skin. But if you don’t stay on top of their painstaking approach, it can significantly impact on their productivity. They need your guidance to modify their behaviour.
Identifying their strengths
Before intervening, it’s important for you to acknowledge just how much this employee has to offer. The perfectionist is accurate and systematic. They are objective, conscientious and thoroughly organised.
But ultimately it’s the fear of making a mistake that hinders their progress. The sooner you recognise this, the sooner you are in a position to help them.
Here’s our suggested approach when coaching a perfectionist on performance issues.
Communication is important
– Prepare your thoughts thoroughly beforehand. They prefer a systemised and logical approach.
– If you disagree with their approach or ideas, be prepared to qualify your position with facts. Don’t resort to opinion as evidence.
– Don’t be ambiguous about the expectations you have for the project or workflow and always follow through on what you say.
The work environment is everything to a perfectionist
It’s crucial that the working conditions cater to their needs. A perfectionist thrives in an environment where critical thinking is supported and quality is assured.
Set them challenges that will stretch them, and afford them the time to finish those tasks. A sense of completion is important to them.
But also, don’t be afraid to challenge the perfectionist with new ideas and approaches. Just be certain that you can show them sufficient proof of the results that can be expected as a result of the change.
Are they the right fit for the role?
If you find the desired outcome is not reached, perhaps your perfectionist employee is not well suited to their current position. There may be a more suitable place for their skillset in another part of your organisation.
If you are experiencing difficulties managing employee performance in your business, contact your outsourced HR department at End2End Business Solutions on 02 8977 4002.