As leaders, we often find ourselves faced with the challenge of managing team members who are underperforming. It can be a delicate and complex situation, but with the right approach, you can turn underperformers into valuable contributors.
At Business Blueprint’s November 2024 conference, Leadership expert Daimien Patterson explained how business owners can take control when someone is letting the team down. Check out some of the highlights of his presentation.
Address the issue head-on
Don’t avoid the problem or hope it will go away on its own. Daimien emphasises the importance of having the courage to address performance issues directly. “If you don’t talk to them, what’s going to happen? It’s just going to keep happening, and whatever damage they’re doing is going to continue to occur,” he says.
Use the “counseling sandwich”
Daimien recommends the “counseling sandwich” technique, which involves starting with positive feedback, followed by the negative issue at hand, and then ending with a positive outlook for the future.
There is another name for this term… the sh*t sandwich! But it can be an effective way to make sure your team member leaves the meeting feeling positive instead of resentful and frustrated about being criticised.
Figure out what’s really going on
Before jumping to conclusions, take the time to understand the underlying reasons for the underperformance. It could be a lack of training, personal issues or even a mismatch between the employee’s skills and the job requirements. Addressing the root cause is crucial for finding a lasting solution.
Provide clear expectations
If your employee doesn’t understand their duties and the standards expected of them, they will fail to impress, but this doesn’t mean you have to let them go.
Offer training, resources and support to help them improve. Regular check-ins and feedback can also help them stay on track so you end up with a valuable team member instead of a revolving door situation where you’re always recruiting and onboarding new people.
Sometimes, people have personal issues that take their attention. It’s not easy when there is work to be done but Daimien
Support them through a difficult time (to a point)
When a team member is underperforming due to personal challenges, approach the situation with empathy and kindness. As a leader, you have a responsibility to support your team, but you also have a business to run. Sometimes, investing time and patience to help an employee through a difficult period can pay off—when they overcome their challenges, they often come back stronger and more loyal because you stood by them. However, this kind of support has its limits. At some point, you have to ask yourself if your business can afford to carry the extra burden indefinitely.
Establish rewards and consequences
Giving people the incentive of a reward, whether it is a financial perk or a promotion, can improve behaviour and outcomes. You may want to set a team challenge, or even set up teams to compete to hit a target.
While being supportive, it’s important to set clear consequences for continued underperformance. This could include withholding promotions or bonuses, or, as a last resort, termination. However, Daimien reiterates the importance of following a fair process, with multiple warnings and opportunities for improvement. He shares a story of a time when he let someone go on the spot after other staff complained about their behaviour. In hindsight, it was a knee jerk response and the situation could have potentially been better managed with mediation. The result was the loss of a team member who brought a lot of value to the business.
“No one will be motivated to fix their problems unless there is a clear reward and or consequence.” – Daimien Patterson
Document everything
If your organisation doesn’t have job descriptions documented, make it very clear what is (and isn’t) expected of your employees and follow the right processes by giving warnings before you let someone go, you risk ending up at the Tribunal, which can be expensive.
Maintain detailed records of performance issues, conversations, and any corrective actions taken. This documentation can be crucial if the situation escalates to a legal dispute.
Offer forgiveness and a fresh start
In some cases, extending forgiveness and giving the employee a chance to start anew can be a powerful motivator. As Daimien shares, “When you forgive someone for making a mistake, they’ll be less likely to make it again and they will be ‘in debt’ to you as a leader.”
Want to access exclusive training to be a better leader and grow your business? Book a call with Business Blueprint today.
