Last updated on Jul 5, 2024

Your team member is feeling demotivated and underperforming. How can you turn their performance around?

When a team member starts to show signs of demotivation and underperformance, it can be a significant concern. As someone responsible for managing people, you're tasked with not only identifying the root causes but also finding effective strategies to help turn their performance around. It's a delicate situation that requires empathy, clear communication, and a supportive approach to re-energize and re-engage your team member.

1 Recognize Signs

Recognizing the signs of demotivation early on is crucial. Look out for changes in behavior such as a lack of enthusiasm, missed deadlines, or a drop in quality of work. This is your cue to act. You should approach the situation with sensitivity, as there could be personal or professional issues at play. It's important to create a safe space where your team member feels comfortable discussing their challenges without fear of judgment or repercussions.

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Flavia Moura

Desenvolvimento Humano | Liderança | Gestão de Pessoas | RH | Gente & Gestão | Treinamento | T&D | DHO I Designer Instrucional I Gerente de Operações B2B
Conhecer também o que motiva cada membro da equipe ajudará o líder a saber lidar com as diversas situações que possam surgir e criar ações para melhorar o desempenho, como por exemplo, se uma pessoa é movida por desafios, para que ela não se desmotive o líder pode colocá-la a frente por um novo projeto da área, ela se sentirá bem pela responsabilidade que está assumindo, sentirá que o líder confia em seu trabalho e que suas habilidades não estão sendo subutilizadas.

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Joel Costa

🏅LinkedIn Top Voice | Supervisor de Produção | Lean Manufacturing | Coordenador de Produção | Liderança de Alta Performance 🏭 | Gestão de Equipes Autônomas
"Reconhecendo Sinais de Desmotivação: Como Agir Proativamente?" No meu ponto de vista, o ponto principal é estar atento a sinais precoces de desmotivação na equipe. Eu creio que é crucial abordar mudanças de comportamento com sensibilidade, oferecendo um espaço seguro para discussão. Ao analisar este artigo, fica claro que criar um ambiente acolhedor promove confiança e produtividade. Cautela: respeite a privacidade do colaborador ao abordar questões sensíveis. Que tal marcar um café virtual para conversar informalmente?

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2 Open Dialogue

Initiating an open dialogue is the next step. Encourage your team member to express their feelings and concerns. Listen attentively and validate their experiences. This conversation should be framed positively, focusing on support and improvement rather than criticism. Understanding their perspective will provide valuable insights into the factors contributing to their demotivation and underperformance.

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Joel Costa

🏅LinkedIn Top Voice | Supervisor de Produção | Lean Manufacturing | Coordenador de Produção | Liderança de Alta Performance 🏭 | Gestão de Equipes Autônomas
"Construindo Pontes: O Poder do Diálogo Aberto na Gestão de Equipes" No meu ponto de vista, o ponto principal é iniciar um diálogo aberto para compreender melhor as preocupações da equipe. Na minha experiência, aplico isso incentivando um ambiente de confiança e apoio mútuo. Ao analisar este artigo, percebo que um diálogo positivo pode transformar desafios em oportunidades de crescimento. Atenção: mantenha a conversa focada na melhoria, não na crítica. Que tal agendar uma reunião one-on-one para ouvir suas ideias e sugestões?

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Kranti Nidadavolu

People Manager | Talent Planning, LinkedIn Talent Insights, Mentoring
Creating a safe space for people in the organization is very important for the open dialogue. Educating people on active listening, different biases, empathy, collaboration and positive intent and then inculcating them in values or behaviors creates a way for safe dialogue. When I have conversation with any of the employee for the stay interviews, I ensure them that this is a safe space to talk where there will be no judgements made based on what they share. Demotivation and underperformance can happen due to many sensitive reasons and it is very important to facilitate open dialogues by being supportive and empathetic. Sometimes getting a third person as someone from People Team or a coach (from different team) helps.
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3 Set Goals

After understanding their challenges, work together to set realistic and achievable goals. These should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Setting these goals helps to provide direction and a sense of purpose. It's also essential to ensure that these goals align with their personal aspirations and the broader objectives of the team and organization.

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4 Provide Support

Providing consistent support is key to helping your team member get back on track. This could involve offering additional training, resources, or even adjusting their workload. Regular check-ins can also help to maintain momentum and show that you are invested in their success. Remember, the goal is to empower them to overcome their hurdles, not to micromanage their every move.

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5 Celebrate Progress

It's important to recognize and celebrate progress, no matter how small. Acknowledging improvements can boost morale and reinforce positive behavior. This recognition can be a powerful motivator and can help rebuild your team member's confidence in their abilities. Celebrating these victories together fosters a positive team culture and encourages continued effort and engagement.

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Florian Kampfer

Head of Customer Enablement @ think-cell | Trainer for Media Designers | Personal Trainer | Certified Nutritionist | Follow me for daily posts about people management, career progress and productivity
One of my team members had been struggling with the new software, missing deadlines and growing visibly frustrated. I felt I must act. One morning, she successfully completed a medium-challenging task. I took her aside and acknowledged her effort, emphasizing the importance of their progress, no matter how small. 2 days later we had our regular team dinner. I casually mentioned her achievement, pointing out how it contributed to our goals. I could really see the change it made for her. The recognition made a difference. Her performance improved slowly, and I kept on reminding myself to give her the attention she needed to perform well.
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Monique Phan Grenier

Manager IT chez BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking
Complètement d accord. Bien sûr il faut célébrer les fins de projet, néanmoins il est encourageant de rappeler les petites victoires pour garder la positive attitude et montrer le soutien du manager auprès des équipes

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6 Adjust Strategy

Lastly, be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed. What works for one individual may not work for another. Be flexible and open to feedback. If certain approaches aren't yielding the desired results, don't hesitate to try new methods. The key is to maintain a dynamic approach that is responsive to the evolving needs of your team member.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Your team member is feeling demotivated and underperforming. How can you turn their performance around?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Recognize Signs

2 Open Dialogue

3 Set Goals

4 Provide Support

5 Celebrate Progress

6 Adjust Strategy

7 Here’s what else to consider

People Management

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Your team member is feeling demotivated and underperforming. How can you turn their performance around?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Recognize Signs

2 Open Dialogue

3 Set Goals

4 Provide Support

5 Celebrate Progress

6 Adjust Strategy

7 Here’s what else to consider

People Management

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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