Managers and supervisors sometimes take a narrow, reactive, and negative view of their role in managing employee performance. A negative approach to managing performance can actually create or compound performance problems.

Managers who attempt to manage employees in a negative way frequently are ineffective and create additional conflict. In such situations, performance management becomes aversive to employees. Some managers and supervisors choose to ignore poor performance and poor performers altogether. Instead, they may choose to assign the work to effective employees, or even to do it themselves. This approach can lead to further problems, such as feelings of inequity and low morale among the employees assigned the extra work.

Managers may believe that all they need to do to improve performance is to relay the orders issued from above, particularly if they think employees already know what they are doing and how to do it. The reality is that sometimes employees know what to do and how to do it, but sometimes they do not. It could be that the recruiting and selection process is flawed, or that orientation and initial training have been done poorly (if at all).

Taking a negative approach to managing performance may mean that the only time the supervisor discusses performance with employees is when there is a problem. Effective performance is ignored because it is expected. Employees may resent this treatment and the supervisor misses opportunities to encourage effective performance.