March 2008
Raising the bar
Be it on the sports field, on the road or in the workplace, high performance is what we’re all after. For managers, it’s the Holy Grail – a team of happy, motivated staff who consistently give their best. Of course, reaching high performance often means transforming poor performance. It’s one of management’s toughest challenges – in a recent survey by RTL, 90% of workers said their boss did nothing about under-performers. But, as our cover story reveals, tackling poor performance needn’t be painful – with the right preparation it can even be straightforward.
Also this issue, a guide to handling grievances at work, and we get up close with a former fighter pilot turned high performance management expert. Don’t forget, Edge online is exclusively for ILM members so have your username and password handy…
Features
The number of workplace grievances reaching tribunals has risen sharply in the past few years and each one costs employers a fortune in damages, not to mention the trauma for all concerned. Pepi Sappal outlines some rules that can help keep conflicts out of the courts
Dealing with staff whose work isn’t up to scratch is a tough task that many a manager shies away from. But, as Steve Coomber explains, putting in place the right processes makes managing poor performance much easier and can even eliminate it all together
When it comes to performing at your peak under pressure, Justin Hughes is something of an expert – as a Tornado pilot he had mere milliseconds to make life-or-death decisions. Now he’s turned his attention to the corporate world. Jane Lewis went to meet him
Columns
One clear vision
If you want people to follow you, you’ve got to let them know where they’re heading, which is why, say Jeff Grout and Liz Fisher, the best leaders set a simple yet powerful vision that pulls people together
Spring is in the air
As the days get longer and the blossom starts to bloom, it’s time to inject some spring style into your working wardrobe, says Katie Greengrass, with seventies chic, star prints and any colour as long as it’s blue
A successful failure
He might not have made it to the top yet, but if failure is the first step on the path to success, Stewart Gowans is definitely on the right road