WE all have them—uncooperative teammates who try to do as little as possible, or contribute so little to the success of the team’s projects. You would think such qualities would stop in college group works, but somehow they perpetuate into the corporate world. When one of your team members is not doing what they are supposed to do, they can drag your team down and even affect the performance of others. What can you do when a team member is not performing as they should?
Start with yourself. Are performance expectations clear from the beginning? What is not communicated will not get done. Do people understand what needs to be done and the effects of their underperformance? Setting clear expectations at the start will help you gauge where your team is in terms of what they can and are willing to do. This will also provide you the baseline for building a career development program for them, so expectations are set in terms of who will get promoted and who will be disciplined. These performance expectations can be in the form of annual performance goals or quarterly performance reviews.
When you set these performance goals, do it with your team individually. This way, you can set realistic goals and identify critical areas for excellent performance. Make sure that they understand what each goal entails and ask critical questions like possible roadblocks or needed tools and resources to achieve the goals. Set regular meetings for assessing progress so that potential issues can be avoided and will not escalate into a crisis. This will also give your team a basis for doing what needs to be done but leaves room for people to exceed expectations when they want to.
When goals are set, it is easier to talk to the underperforming team member. And when you do, do it privately. A good people-handling practice is to praise the team publicly but reprimand them individually in private. Also, part of the Filipino culture is letting people save face. Schedule a one-on-one when there is a need to understand why they are not performing well and as their leader, your role is clear obstacles for your team to succeed. Do what you can to help them but teach them also to help themselves.
When you coach an employee for underperforming, do it right away. Waiting for the quarterly or annual performance review is already too late especially when they have already made it into a habit.
Call them out as early as possible and provide coaching as needed before other team members notice it. When a people manager does not call underperformance, other team members might think it is okay to not meet expectations.
When coaching team members, strive to understand where they are coming from. They could be dealing with personal issues or workplace problems that stop them from doing their work properly. Be mindful of organizational issues that might affect your team’s work so you can adequately inform them of what they can do to adjust. Personal issues are harder to get by and require that you know your team as much as they are willing to divulge. Take the time to get to know your team so you are also attuned to their needs.
Before you talk to your team member, list down specific instances when the performance was subpar. Bring with you the annual or quarterly performance reviews, and if needed, the company policy on performance so you have a ready reference for calling it to their attention. Do not use hearsay or instances that are not documented because this will just antagonize them. Set the environment in such a way that you are there to understand why their performance was subpar, and that you are there to support and help them. If they are reluctant to talk about the reason for their underperformance, ask what you can do to help improve their performance. This shifts the focus from them to you and might even help them loosen up and tell you anyway.
In setting goals, you probably will already have an idea of what your team needs in terms of training. In your daily interactions with them, you will also notice opportunities for improvement. Before they escalate into issues later on, provide training opportunities for them to work on their problematic areas, or discussions on emerging issues and trends in your field. This way, you get to equip your team on their current workload while keeping an eye on future developments.
Reward your team members for improved performance. This reinforces the positive change and helps other team members understand that effort is rewarded. A reward does not necessarily have to be financial incentives or bonuses. A pat on the back or congratulations goes a long way in boosting your team’s confidence and performance. The reward has to be commensurate to the effort exerted and one that the whole team will appreciate.
It is a sad reality but if a team member does not perform after repeated coaching and performance evaluations, you might have to let them go. But before you do, make sure that you have exerted all effort in helping them, and that they have understood the parameters for being dismissed. You might have to explain to the team what happened if there is a need, but this will also send out a clear message—being part of the team means pulling their weight and putting in what needs to be done.
Being a people manager means putting the team ahead of individuals. If one is struggling, it affects the whole team. And while your role is to
help and support the struggling team member, they must in turn do what they can to improve themselves. They say a team is only as strong as its weakest link. I say, a team can only accomplish as much as its deadweight.
Image courtesy of Christin Hume on Unsplash
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