Lisa, thanks for taking the time to comment. Hopefully, this series of posts will nudge and equip managers who have been postponing "the discussion" with a poor performer.

Sometimes, the issue is not a manager's values but rather a misapplication or mistranslation of a value. For example, the desire to be kind is a fine value. But if the manager thinks being "kind" means being "non-confrontational," then the resulting behavior can create damage in the workplace. In this illustration, the manager needs to learn that a performance discussion is a kind act (both for the poorly performing employee and the team)--and that it does indeed fit with the manager's values better than letting poor performance slide.