Problem-Solving

Question your assumptions about poor performers

If we have a team member who is underperforming, we need to diagnose the problem and develop a solution.

Don’t assume you know what the issue is. Talk to the person, and LISTEN when they talk. You may find it’s an easy fix—sometimes the person just needs a training session, or a different piece of equipment, or a simple redirect on the end goal of their task. Sometimes it is more involved—they may be demotivated or they may have conflicts with some of their coworkers, and you will need to employ more leadership skills to resolve the issues. They may improve when working on a different project or with a different work group.

In some cases, there may be an outside problem—they might be going through a difficult life event (like dealing with a loved one having cancer or going through a divorce) that is distracting them from work. Or they may be facing their own physical or mental health challenge. In this case, work with HR to respect the legal issues.

You may work with the poor performer to develop a Professional Improvement Plan. Keep the metrics simple and make sure that they understand what they need to do. Keep communication lines open and check in on a regular basis.

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