When a team member underperforms, it’s important to address the situation. You want to help them improve and contribute to the team’s goals. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Don’t assume everyone knows what you are looking for

Review your expectations to ensure they are clear, realistic, and well-communicated. Misunderstandings or misalignment can contribute to a team member falling short.

• Is the team member clear on the outcome?
• Are they clear on who they need to engage?
• Are they clear on deadlines?

If not, the reason they struggled might be because you could have explained things better. Writing down your expectations can help to remove any ambiguity.

Here’s how you can convey expectations: “For our upcoming meeting with the client, I expect you to come with a progress update and engage in the discussions. Your input is valuable to the team’s success. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Photo by Allan Mas: https://www.pexels.com/photo/asian-man-helping-friend-to-get-up-from-ground-5368943/

2. Feedback and listen

“A great manager praises in public and reprimands in private” - Jean Borno, founder and CEO of 1787fp.

Schedule a private one-on-one meeting with the team member to discuss their performance. Use supportive and non-confrontational language.

Provide specific examples of where their performance did not meet expectations. As an example: “I noticed that in the last two project meetings, you didn’t contribute as much as I had expected. In the first meeting, you didn’t provide the progress update you were responsible for, and in the second, you did not input.”

Feedback is not one-way. Hear their perspective. There may be underlying reasons for their performance issues. It could be personal challenges or obstacles at work. You can understand this by asking: “Is there anything that may have affected your ability to contribute fully in those meetings?”. People have lives outside of work. Listen to their explanations and concerns. Remember their health is far more important than their work. The best thing you can do is to tell them to take time away, and to delegate the responsibility elsewhere.

In a previous job, I met with a co-worker privately, explained my concerns about the quality of his work, and asked him to explain the cause of the problem. The co-worker said he knew that his work had been subpar lately but was afraid to address the issue with me and other members of the team. He told me that he felt overwhelmed by the project and that he had health issues. Once the channels of communication were open, I then devised a solution to address the issue. I reviewed the project with the co-worker and asked him to identify any problem areas. I also allowed him to work a flexible schedule that better fits his role. I revisited the project goals with the team, and checked the deadlines were realistic, and that work duties were fairly allocated among the team. The more open lines of communication and the change of his work schedule enabled the ‘problem co-worker’ to prosper, and he completed the project on time.

As a manager, you can ask them what you could have done better to support them and if there were any constraints that hindered their ability to achieve the desired outcomes. By having a conversation and listening to their perspective, you can identify areas for improvement and find ways to support them in their work. You can do this by asking: “What do you think might have caused the issues in those meetings, and how do you suggest we address them moving forward?”.

A great way to understand why something went wrong is to run a post-mortem or retrospective. The lessons learned can then help inform future work.

3. What can you do to support someone else?

As a manager, you can ask them what you could have done better to support them and if there were any constraints that hindered their ability to achieve the desired outcomes. By having a conversation and listening to their perspective, you can identify areas for improvement and find ways to support them in their work. You can do this by asking: “What do you think might have caused the issues in those meetings, and how do you suggest we address them moving forward?”.

Also, check in with the team member to watch their progress and offer support as needed. Be patient and allow time for improvement. I like to meet weekly to discuss progress and address any challenges they may encounter.

Maintain a record of your conversations and agreements. A decision log can help. You can use it to keep track of the agreed-upon steps.

If the team member continues to fall short, explore whether extra training, coaching, or mentorship is necessary. In some cases, the company may warrant a performance improvement plan. If the team member consistently fails to meet expectations, you may need to consider more serious consequences, such as reassignment, disciplinary action, or, as a last resort, termination.

Conclusion

When a team member falls short of expectations, it is crucial to have open and honest conversations, understand the reasons behind their performance, and work together to find solutions. By providing support, addressing root causes, and checking progress, you can help the team member improve and succeed.

What if a team member is delivering high-quality work? Here’s how to recognise and celebrate this.