Having a “difficult” discussion with an employee can make some managers quite anxious.  These include performance reviews, meetings with sick employees, grievance, redundancy consultation meetings and disciplinary investigation interviews etc.  How and where you hold the meetings will play a big part in how well they go. 

It never ceases to amaze me that some managers think that it is OK to hold a private and potentially emotional discussion in a coffee shop or motorway service station where others can overhear the meeting.  Similarly holding them in an open-plan office or allowing yourself to be interrupted by visitors or telephone calls is not conducive to a productive meeting.  Remember, if you have to hold such a meeting, the outcome could have a significant impact on the life of the employee and so they are likely to be more anxious than you are.  It is therefore important to consider their needs for privacy and your focused attention. 

Put yourself in their position.  Would you like to discuss your personal illnesses or family situation with others listening in?  Would you have the courage to reveal all the difficulties facing you so that you could ask for support from your employer to deal with a crisis? Would you want to discuss your potential redundancy package with colleagues listening in?  Would you feel that your manager was paying you his full attention if he answered phone calls or kept an eye on his BlackBerry?  Probably not.  So stop and think about the arrangements you make to hold such meetings before you invite the employee to meet you. 

If you have an employee performance issue, seek advice before talking your employee; it could save you a lot of time and money.  Consult your HR Advisor, or contact Cherington HR via www.cheringtonhr.com