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  • 05 Mar 2014

    Underperforming Staff

    Even with the right people on board we will at some point face an underperformance issue. As well as attracting talent to the business we need to be able to manage those in the business and any underperformance issues that may occur, getting it wrong can be costly.

    When an employee is underperforming a number of questions need to be asked regarding the management style before making the jump to disciplinary action. 

    • Have you assumed that poor/under performance is the problem/fault of the individual? It can be, but is not always.
    • Have I played my part? 
    • Have I set regular reviews and provided support for the individual? 
    • Have I given them every chance to succeed rather than fail?
    • Are they absolutely clear on what is expected?
    • Do I choose my attitude when I am with this individual? It can be easy to choose a negative stance when you are frustrated, so think about how you will manage this.

    Once these questions have been asked and any issues resolved that may be coming from the management style then we should look at the individual. When looking at the individual we need to identify if the underperformance is because they can’t do the task / process or won’t do it, this lets us know if it is a capability problem or a motivational one.

    The first step in identifying if it is a capability or motivational issue is to answer the following questions:

     

    Once we know if it is a capability or motivational issue then we can dig deeper with the following questions.

    Can’t Do Questions

     

    Won’t Do Questions

     

    This can’t do / won’t do process allows you to clearly establish what the underperformance issue is, taking the emotion and frustration out of the situation. Following this you will be able to formulate a clear plan on how to deal with the issue objectively and turn the employee around. Whilst this isn’t always possible, we give ourselves a better chance by objectively identifying the key issue in an underperforming employee.

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