It's
your job to motivate the troops, but what about the stragglers? Many
leaders believe we're all adults, so if some employees aren't keeping
up, ultimately you must fire them.
Before the problem gets to that point though, are you putting in the
right effort to get your weaker employees up to par? Amy Gallo, a
contributing editor at
Harvard Business Review,
interviewed experts on how to correctly motivate those underperformers. Check out her suggestions below.
Address the problem head-on
If an employee is faring poorly, don't wait to talk to him or her.
Joseph Weintraub, a professor of management and organizational behavior
at Babson College and co-author of
The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business,
tells HBR that performance issues are too often ignored by management.
"Most performance problems aren't dealt with directly," he says. "More
often, instead of taking action, the manager will transfer the person
somewhere else or let him stay put without doing anything."
Weintraub says that underperformance is like an infection. You have
to treat it and help it heal, or else it will spread. Jean-François
Manzoni, a professor of management at INSEAD and co-author of
The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: How Good Managers Cause Great People to Fail,
tells HBR that ignoring the problem is poor management: "Never allow
underperformance to fester on your team. It's rare that these situations
resolve themselves. It'll just get worse. You'll become more and more
irritated and that's going to show and make the person uncomfortable."
Find the root cause
If your employee is a bad fit for the job, that's on you. If he lacks
the necessary skills, that's on you too. These causes for
underperformance can be fixed with training. There also might be a
misunderstanding of your expectations. You need to look at how you and
the employee are jointly responsible. "You may have contributed to the
negative situation," Manzoni says. "After all, it's rare that it's all
the subordinate's fault just as it's rare that it's all the boss's." You
both need to make changes, so figure out what's causing the issue.
Make sure you are objective
It's important to make sure you are not approaching the matter with a
bias. If the employee's mistakes are angering you, tap your managers to
contribute to a review of the person's work. Manzoni tells HBR that you
might ask your managers in confidence: "I'm worried that my frustration
may be clouding my judgment. All I can see are the mistakes he's
making. I want to make an honest effort to see what I'm missing." Try to
find facts that will prove there's either a communication problem,
systemic issue, or a need for proper training.
Start a conversation
Now that you have collected unbiased information, it's time to talk
with the underperformer. Tell him or her what you have observed, how
their actions are affecting the team and company, and stress that you're
available to help. Manzoni says you should tell the employee that you
realize there are performance issues, that you know he or she can do
better, and ask for ideas on how the issue can improve. Weintraub says
not to put them on the spot--brainstorm with them and give them a few
days to think on it and come up with a plan.
Coach the employee and lay out the plan
If the employee is not interested in being coached, then there's
nothing you can do to change their performance and it's decision time.
"If someone says, 'I am who I am' or implies that they're not going to
change, then you've got to make a decision whether you can live with the
issue and at what cost," Weintraub says. But if they are willing to
learn and change, it's time for a plan. This is the time to get the
specific improvements and goals down on paper and detail how to achieve
them. Agree on measurable actions and start tracking their progress.
Don't let the employee overextend herself. Be realistic with the goals
and make sure you give ample time. "Everyone needs time to change and
maybe learn or acquire new skills," Weintraub says.
Follow up and monitor progress
You need to follow up with the employee. All your work will be for
nothing unless you monitor their progress. Ask them if they have a
superior they trust who can help track their work and report to you
confidentially. "It says I want this to work and I want you to feel
comfortable; I'm not going to sneak around your back," Weintraub says.
Take action if needed
After all this work, if there are no improvements, it's time to
change your demeanor. If the employee starts to take advantage of your
kindness, mentoring, and coaching, you can't stand for it. "At some
point you leave coaching and get into the consequences speech. You might
say, 'Let me be very clear that this is the third time this has
happened and since your behavior hasn't changed, I need to explain the
consequences,'" Weintraub says. Don't let your ego into this, however.
Take any disciplinary action seriously. "When you fire somebody, it not
only affects that person, but also you, the firm, and everybody around
you," Manzoni says.
Reward them for changes
If the employee turns their performance around, you should reward
them. Don't leave them feeling like the ax is ready to drop on their
neck. "At some point, if the non-performer has improved, be sure to take
them off the death spiral," Weintraub says. "You want a team that can
make mistakes and learn from them."
