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How To Deal With An Underperforming Team Member - Tried & Tested Successful Approach · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Working out how to deal with an underperforming team member and then taking the right action is one of the bigger personal challenges any manager or leader faces at work.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: I never liked dealing with underperformers, yet I knew that procrastinating and doing nothing was the worst option.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: I also learnt that when dealing with underperformers as a manager, you're very much on your own.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: It is you that has to assess the situation, have the difficult conversations, decide on the action that needs to be taken, and put in the time to deal with the situation.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Your manager, HR, and official procedures, etc.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: usually offer limited support at best.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: I would like to take you through the approach that I've used successfully time and time again over the 25 years of managing teams.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: There are six main steps or actions to take.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles and I've had a 25-year management career in Innocent Drinks, Fosters, EY, Peer Consulting, and many other less well-known companies.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: I had to learn what to do with a poor performer at work early in my career, and I've successfully dealt with many underperforming employees since.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Of the work I've done with underperforming employees, I would say around 7 out of 10 have gone on to improve their performance and caught up with their peer group.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I've had a few of these people go on to become star performers of the team.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: I truly believe that helping an underperforming employee improve is the best result for all of them, for them, for you and the company.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to this podcast, Enhance.training provides online business courses to help individuals improve their personal performance and that of the team and business.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: So the first must-do step in how to deal with an underperforming team member is don't ignore the problem.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: By ignoring underperformance, you're effectively signalling through your actions to the individual and the whole team that it is okay to underperform.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: You are saying underperform and nothing is going to happen.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: If anything, the performance of the individual is likely to get worse, not better.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: As you can imagine, this impacts the performance of the other team members and quickly the team overall.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Then your manager is going to be asking questions about your ability to manage teams.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: The business will certainly be worse off.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: This is the worst result for everyone.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Your annoyance, anger, stress levels are all going to rise the longer you put off dealing with a poor performer at work.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: So don't ignore the problem.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: As a manager, you must deal with an underperforming team member to resolve the underperformance.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: The second action in how to deal with an underperforming employee is to talk to the underperformer and find out the reasons for the underperformance.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to the individual earlier rather than later.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, set out the issues that you're having with their performance, the reason why this is an issue for you, the team or the business, and provide specific examples.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Do not talk in general terms, be specific and use examples.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Give them a chance to respond.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then find out why they're underperforming.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: There can be loads of reasons why.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Until you speak to them and ask them, you'll only be guessing.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still really surprised about what comes out of these types of conversation.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Be supportive, care and most importantly, actively listen to what they say.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Ask what the problem is and then stop talking.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's harder than it sounds, particularly if the silence stretches into two or three minutes.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: When you know what the problems are, then you are in a much better place to help the individual.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Some common reasons for underperformance include, you know, firstly, boredom or lack of challenge or lack of development.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, not being capable enough to actually do the job.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Third, they lack vital skills or knowledge.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, they might have a poor attitude.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, there could be a big mismatch or gap between your expectations and theirs.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And six, they might have personal issues going on outside of work.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Seven, they may be having problems with you as their manager or other members of staff.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And eight, they may lack vital resources to do their role properly.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: So speak to the individual about their performance, be specific and use examples, and then find out why they're not performing or delivering in their role.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Once you understand why they are underperforming, the third action in how to deal with an underperforming team member is to agree on expectations and a plan of action with the underperformer.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: Tell the individual what you think and tell them what you want, i.e.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: set out your expectations.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Then get them to tell you what they think and what they think are reasonable expectations.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Expect to compromise on your expectations.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Your aim is to get a set of expectations that both parties accept.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Getting their input and compromising takes more time than just setting out your expectations.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: The benefit you get is the other person has inputted into the expectations, has been listened to, and you have compromised, all which means that they are a lot more likely to agree with and own the expectations and thus be motivated to achieve them.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Next, set measurable goals together.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Once you've agreed the goals to be reached or what good looks like, discuss how they're going to get from where they are now to meeting and beating those goals.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Get the individual to provide input and ideas as to how they're going to improve their performance and what help they need.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: The output you need is a joint plan with specific expectations and goals, and these should be captured in a written document that you can both refer to.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure the goals are smart as much as possible anyway, and neither of you want to be in any doubt when the goals have been reached.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: I usually use a three-month time frame from the initial plan, which gives enough time for the underperformer to improve performance, but is short enough so you can take alternative action if the underperformer doesn't put in the effort.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: It is useful to build in milestones into the plan where possible, so there's a series of mini goals to achieve on the way to achieving the main goal.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: It is so important that the underperformer has inputted into and agrees with the plan and goals that you have set out.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Ideally, you need them to willingly accept both.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth action in how to deal with an underperforming team member is to coach and mentor them.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think actively helping the individual to improve is a vital step.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: By providing your time and support, your actions are demonstrating that you want them to succeed and improve their performance.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: You have to give them the tools to enable them to improve their performance.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Provide them knowledge, the benefit of your experience, and coach them to improve their skills.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: I have found that this increases their motivation and their effort levels, and with this, their chances of success also increase.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Coaching and mentoring is a great way to pass on your knowledge and help the underperformer develop their skills.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, this doesn't always work.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: You can only coach or mentor a person effectively that accepts there is a problem and wants to improve their performance.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: If the person doesn't want to improve, then whatever you do will have a limited impact on their performance.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to significantly increase the chances that the employee will improve their underperformance, then invest a good amount of time in coaching and mentoring them.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: You could also assign another team member to help them or individuals from other teams.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: Be conscious of maintaining confidentiality in this situation.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: The fifth action in how to deal with an underperforming employee is to give honest feedback and monitor progress.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: I recommend that you provide lots of open and honest feedback to the individual.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Without specific feedback, they are not going to know what they are doing well and what still needs to be improved.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Leaving them guessing is not fair to them and it does not help improve their performance.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: When giving feedback, do your best to make it firstly open and honest.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, the feedback is as specific and detailed as possible.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Use lots of examples by all means.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: And third, give feedback with their developers in mind so you're always trying to improve what they're trying to do.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: And fourth, don't delay giving feedback because you want them to improve as quickly as possible.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: If your joint improvement plan is running over three months, say, then I'd recommend that each month you have a formal meeting and share a written document which summarises their progress.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Allow them to make additions to this document if they feel that what you've written does not cover all aspects of their progress.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: As a manager, it is vital that you monitor progress and measure the performance improvement in some way.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Then you can discuss facts and data with the underperformer rather than it being just your opinion against their opinion.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Facts and data are much less subjective and a lot fairer, plus it is clear how much the individual has improved or not.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: A couple of ideas of what you could measure include tracking sales generated against a set of targets, or it could be cost savings gained against a set of targets, or it could be any type of activity performed to an improved time frame or to an improved quality level.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Or it could be projects completed to agreed parameters, or it could be scored feedback from colleagues, customers or suppliers.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: It is really hard to make all parts of the improvement plan measurable via data.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: When you rely on opinion, try to gather several other opinions rather than just putting forward your own.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: This adds more weight to the feedback and is a lot fairer.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: In most cases you will see plenty of improvements as the individual works through their plan.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you give praise and encouragement for these improvements.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: This is super important if you want to keep their improvement on track and their motivation high.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Capture these improvements in your written document too.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: There are maybe occasions when the improvements are so significant that a reward is appropriate.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Examples include maybe a small item such as a bottle of champagne, or it could be a public mention in the next team meeting, or an achievement award, etc.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Use your imagination.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: So give honest, useful feedback throughout the period of support.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Be as specific as possible.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: Feedback on what is going well and what is not, and use data to prove a factual progress assessment where possible.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: The sixth action in how to deal with an underperforming employee is to take formal action if there is no improvement.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you're seeing no signs of improvement or not enough improvement, then take more formal action to deal with the underperforming employee.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're part way through the plan, this may be a sensible step.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: The work you put in to agree and document the plan and your monitoring of progress or lack of it can be used as part of a disciplinary process.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Involve HR and move all the actions you take to a more formal footing.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: It is painful to remove someone from the business, for them, for you, and for your team and the business itself.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: If the person is underperforming and not happy, they are likely to be better off in a different job or in a different environment.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Make the difficult choices and take action.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Moving an underperforming employee who doesn't want to improve to another team or department may seem like an easier option, but it will not be easier for the business overall.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: The problem will remain and somebody else will have to deal with it.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Passing the buck is likely to come back to haunt you when your managers are talking about who to promote and which manager to give more staff to.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Not dealing with a problem may put you out of the running.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: So work out how to deal with an underperforming team member and take action to resolve the problems one way or another.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, by taking positive action, you are signalling to the individual and your team that you are not going to put up with poor performance.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be as supportive and as fair as possible, and if that doesn't work, then you can take alternative action.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: By taking action, you'll find that the rest of your team, and in particular the good performers, will thank you.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Their harder work is in effect being rewarded, and you may well find that the below average performers in the team improve their performance level, which can in turn push up everyone else's performance levels.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: You get a better performing team as a result.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: The effort you put in to be fair and reasonable throughout the process and support the underperformers will be well rewarded by the team in terms of their improved morale and motivation.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not fair and reasonable, the rest of them will be thinking, when is it my turn?
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, the most important action to take in how to deal with a poor performer at work is to start the process I've taken you through.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: The sooner the better.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Best of luck in dealing with your underperformers at work.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.