Your team member is falling short on performance. How will you address their underperformance?

Conduct a holistic analysis that considers both internal and external factors influencing underperformance. This includes examining team dynamics, workload distribution, organizational changes, and external pressures.

When a team member is falling short on performance, it's important to address their underperformance in a constructive and supportive manner. I tend to have a discussion with the team member to understand the underlying reasons for the underperformance and to collaboratively develop a plan to help improve their performance. This may involve setting clear expectations, providing additional training or support, and setting up regular check-ins to monitor progress. The goal is to help the team member succeed while ensuring that the team as a whole meets its objectives.

Before intervention, diagnose! Assess workload, personal issues, and workplace changes. Gather facts, not blame. Understand to support, not punish.

Addressing underperformance is a chance to coach and develop a valuable team member. First, I'd schedule a private meeting to discuss specific examples and their impact. This opens a dialogue to understand the root cause: is it a skill gap, workload imbalance, or external factors? Together, we'll create a clear action plan with achievable goals and milestones. I'll offer targeted support, like additional training or revised deadlines, and monitor progress regularly. Open communication and a focus on solutions will empower them to regain momentum and become a stronger contributor

Incorporate a strengths-based approach to uncover capabilities that can be leveraged for improvement. Highlighting strengths during the discussion not only boosts confidence but also provides a foundation for developing targeted strategies to overcome challenges.

Implement regular progress reviews to track milestones and adjust strategies as needed. These check-ins provide opportunities for constructive feedback, celebrate achievements, and address any emerging challenges promptly.

Open dialogue for recovery! Schedule a private meeting, listen actively, and avoid assumptions. Collaboratively identify barriers and solutions to improve performance.

Support for improvement! Offer training, mentoring, or workload adjustments. Show investment in their success. Regular check-ins provide ongoing guidance and feedback for development.

Track progress, not every step! Monitor key metrics, offer feedback, and celebrate wins. Reassess goals or support if progress stalls. Focus on building confidence and maintaining momentum.

Continuous monitoring of the process is a great tool for detecting bottlenecks or supporting your team in the areas where they may need it right now. Automation of working processes and reporting may help a lot with immediate access to data without interrupting the team and micromanaging their tasks. Monitoring is a great way to avoid crises, team burnout, and unexpected corporate results.

If an employee is underperforming, do not simply tell them what’s wrong and then ignore the situation. Metrics need to set up to ensure that performance is brought to a certain level, however periodic dates should also be setup to review the areas of improvement. Neither you nor the employee want to wait six months & then review the situation and find out that things were not completed or completed incorrectly. Managers need to take the time to review action items as well as need to be able to explain what is wrong. Do not tell an employee “Sort of” or “kind of”. Be specific as to what the problem is and what’s expected so items can be addressed correctly.

Adapt to improve! Track progress, celebrate wins, but be ready to adjust goals, support, or even roles. Flexibility is key to successful performance improvement plans.

Performance management should NEVER be a surprise! These conversations are tough but necessary to help team members see a clear picture of their standing with the business and understand the need to improve. From the first conversation all the way through the process, remember DIFF: Direct, Informative, Firm and Friendly. While it can be tough and upsetting to manage those not performing, it's crucial that leaders are transparent and honest. Never forget this is a very serious process that needs your honesty for the good of the team member.