There are many reasons for underperformance, commonly however it’s that the employee doesn’t have a clear understanding of what’s expected of them.  This is typically due to a lack of systems, training and/or understanding of the tasks at hand.  The knowledge/responsibility/control model (or KRC) is important for HR to understand to ensure effective performance.

KRC is important because without knowledge, it’s difficult for the employee to be responsible for something. Likewise, there is no incentive or motivation without them having a degree of responsibility for a task. And lastly, if they don’t have control, it’s hard for them to commit to learning or being responsible.

Effective management is the link between control and the knowledge in the KRC model.

(Want to talk to your fellow HR professionals about good management? Connect at the AHRI National Convention and Exhibition − on 21−23 August in Sydney. Early bird registration closes 31 May.)

Being a great manager takes time, patience and persistence. There are many different management styles that work but regardless of your specific style, there are nine characteristics that all great managers possess:

1. Motivated. They seem to love what they do. In particular, they are motivated to build a team and help their team succeed.
2. Motivating. They exude a positive energy that inspires and motivates their team to work hard.
3. Confident. They are confident in their decisions and in their people.
4. Knowledgeable. They tend to commit to continuous and never-ending learning practices, resulting in them being aware of current best practices and trends.
5. Respectful. They show the same level of respect to all team members irrespective of performance or position title.
6. Trusting. They understand that to get the best from their team they must trust them to perform in their role.
7. Direct and honest. They aren’t afraid to have the tough conversations with people. Their communication is always clear, constructive and concise.
8. Flexible and adaptable. They understand that not everything is going to go to plan. They are often prepared for this and lead their team through the challenges to deliver on the agreed outcome.
9. Grateful. They appreciate the efforts of their team and regularly communicate this to their team. Whether it’s small daily wins or the achievement of a larger strategic objective, great managers will be sure to sincerely thank their team.

Another aspect of being a great manager is ensuring you set your team up to win. What does that mean? Too often we have so many things to do that we can be vague when we delegate tasks and simply expect that people know what to do. Then when they ‘fail’ we have thoughts like, ‘Why did I hire this person when I could easily be doing this work myself and saving the money?’ So, to set your people up to win, develop a management system that includes:

• being clear with the outcome you expect
• providing an example or demonstration of what you want
• setting clear benchmarks and checkpoints along the way that will help both of you understand if the project or task is on track and meeting the expected standard
• allowing people to do their job freely by not micromanaging, which often leads to people being nervous and not performing their best.

(Still doing an annual review? Read about 10 performance management talks you need to have.)

You want to be a fair manager who doesn’t get upset with your team, or use overly direct language to get things done. It is essential for you to become a great communicator and understand that your ability to set people up will ultimately determine their success or failure.

Matt Malouf is an internationally-acclaimed speaker, business coach, author and entrepreneur.