Auditing the Mediocre

In my last post, I was sure corrective action was on the verge, imminent even. How wrong was I. Here's what led up to that.

My "audit" of this particular employee started about a year ago. He had wanted a promotion. Threw a fit when I didn't put him up for one. My boss agreed with my assessment, but because I didn't have any "proof" (aka "documentation), it set off a series of events that led to a he said/she said "personality conflict" instead of the performance issue it was. I wasn't allowed to write his annual performance evaluation. It went through multiple edits with my boss and HR. My words were too direct. It wasn't positive enough and I didn't give him anything to "keep doing" - an edit requested by HR.

Let me tell you, I'm a pretty positive person. I am an expert at the "reframe." I can make almost anything sound better. Examples: "I'm picky." Reframe - "you're particular and know what you like." "I'm stubborn and opinionated." Reframe: "you're passionate and tenacious."

I even recruited AI to help me "soften" the language. When I presented that version to my boss and HR, they laughed and said, "oh that's why it's so direct." Ugh...here I thought I did better, but...another re-write... The final version was basically written by my boss. I made the changes, submitted it to the employee, he protested but signed it. We moved on. Kinda.

He started going directly to my boss when he had complaints about me - I'm pretty sure he was going to HR at the same time. Building a case against me. I was singling him out. I was only telling him what he was doing wrong. I wasn't communicating enough. I was withholding information. Cutting him out of decisions. He didn't know what my expectations were because I never told him - he'd been working on this team for almost 12 years and in a leadership position for 7.

So began my "audit." It started off as a log for his next performance review. I was going to be ready with plenty of documentation to support my assessment and the reason he still wouldn't be getting that promotion. What I found by paying attention, was much, much worse.

Let's talk about this "documentation" thing we always hear about. I didn't know what that meant. Did it mean putting feedback in emails so it was "on record." That feels like a quick way to put someone on the defense and an unproductive way to move forward. And pretty obvious I'm creating a "paper trail."

Does it mean keeping my own notes? What does that do? Anyone can write anything down. Real life example: I would say something, he would write down his misinterpretation and treat it like fact later. "But I wrote it Down!!! You said...." waving his notepad at me. I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. I know what I said. He didn't know what I meant. Which ultimately was the problem.

I didn't know what to do or how to handle this situation. I didn't get clear guidance from HR or my boss. Their advice was vague, "you need to communicate you've lost confidence in him," "you need to quit engaging in the back and forth," "just don't respond when he says 'ignorant' things like that to you." I didn't need vague. I didn't need avoidant. I needed to be led through it. I needed concrete steps to take. I needed support.

So, I came to find out, by consulting with colleagues and more recently from AI, it means both. But before I knew, I just opened a new Word document and started logging the behavior. I tried to keep it clinical. My psychology background lent itself well to this. We were taught how to "chart." Keep your opinions out of it. Document your observations.

Example: "Bob got really upset when I said the information I asked for was incorrect."

Clinical note: "Bob appeared to become frustrated when I told him the information he submitted for my review was incorrect. [Could insert behavioral observations like, he raised his voice when he denied the error and walked away saying 'I can't talk to you about anything.'] I explained to him that the categories need to be consistent due to the nature of ongoing reporting. We discussed specific examples in his weekly check-in on [insert date] (and I saved screenshots so he couldn't claim later that it was right and I was picking on him again).

Example: "Bob doesn't think he needs to account for his PTO like everyone else, so I had to do it for him."

Clinical note: "Bob did not enter his PTO on 1/31/2025 into the time reporting system. I entered it on [insert date] while approving timecards."

The Auditor's Assessment:

My Word document started to look less like a list of grievances and more like audit findings. Being a Director of Audits, it's my job to notice discrepancies and notate them. I present the "findings," a suggested resolution, and then it is up to the one being audited to correct the identified issue.

By stripping away the emotion—the "he made me feel" or "he was being rude"—I started to see the data points of a much larger breakdown. When you stop trying to "reframe" a disaster into a "learning opportunity," the truth becomes undeniable. I stopped being his cheerleader and started documenting the findings.

I realized that "documentation" isn't just about proving someone is wrong; it’s about protecting your own reality. When he waved that notepad at me, claiming I said "X" when I meant "Y", my clinical log was the only thing keeping me tethered to the facts. It wasn't about winning an argument anymore—it was about maintaining my own sanity.

Because I wasn't provided with the resources I needed, that I asked for, I've committed to make some available for those in similar situations. You can visit the "Resources" page for tools to become an auditor of the 9 to 5.