How to use this guide
This is general operational guidance for New Zealand SMEs. Adapt it to the business and the decisions involved. It is not a complete compliance checklist, legal opinion or a substitute for advice about a particular situation. Examples are illustrative and do not describe client engagements or promised outcomes.
What facts should a manager organise?
Write down the work expectation, when and how it was communicated, and a small number of relevant examples. Separate an observation from an interpretation: ‘the report arrived after the agreed date’ is different from ‘the employee does not care’. Check the source and completeness of each example. Include context such as changing priorities, access to equipment and the instructions the manager gave.
Look for information that could change the initial view. The task may have been unclear, the team may be experiencing a wider capacity problem, or the employee may have an explanation the manager has not heard. Prepare neutral questions and leave room to pause the discussion if a different or more serious issue emerges.
How can the conversation lead to clear next steps?
Choose a private setting and a realistic amount of time. Explain the purpose in language that matches the actual discussion. Think through what support, clarification or training could be available, and which decisions the manager can make. Do not use a generic conversation template to bypass a policy, agreement or formal process that may apply to the situation.
- Describe the expectation and the example without labels about the person’s character or motives.
- Ask for the employee’s account, check your understanding and record unresolved differences accurately.
- Confirm any agreed actions, support, responsible people and follow-up arrangements; distinguish agreement from a proposal.
A working structure
Preparation note
- Purpose and scope of this conversation
- Expectation, source and relevant examples
- Context and information still missing
- Questions to understand the employee’s perspective
- Available support and decisions requiring advice
- Agreed follow-up and accurate record of differences
Illustrative example
Illustrative example: a manager wants to discuss incomplete handover notes. Before meeting, the manager checks the template, discovers two teams use different fields and identifies a busy period when cover was limited. The conversation can then explore both the individual examples and the process problem. A possible next step is to trial a common handover standard and review a small sample together, rather than assume the cause before hearing the employee.
Questions about this guide
Should the manager write the outcome in advance?
Prepare questions and possible support, not a concluded factual account. A useful record distinguishes the manager’s observations, the employee’s response, what was agreed and what still needs checking.
When should preparation pause for specialist support?
Pause when the purpose changes towards formal employment action, a dispute, a complaint or another sensitive issue. Have the correct process and advisory scope checked before proceeding on assumptions.
Official sources and further guidance
These primary sources provide additional context. The operational suggestions and working outlines above are YJ Consulting’s general guidance; the links do not establish that an authority has endorsed this guide.
When YJ Consulting can help
YJ Consulting can help an Auckland or New Zealand SME map the current practice, organise the relevant records and turn the findings into an agreed improvement plan. The engagement starts by confirming the question, responsible adviser, information available and useful outputs. Legal, payroll, financial or other specialist questions should be identified and assigned separately.
Explore the relevant service · Service-scope information · Book an initial conversation