Many team leaders forget to say “thanks”, but many struggle with appropriately dealing with under-performance. You may have already said “hmmm”, but you will understand what I mean. It is so uncomfortable to be in such a conversation. Let me tell you, you’re not the only one. Those who perform poorly often know they aren’t doing well and feel awful. Let’s put an end to your misery, and find the words to tell them what’s wrong.
Let me now share the TELL(tm), a 4-step model that will help you prepare for and then have that delicate conversation about underperformance. It is not a one-sided process.
These are the steps of Tell(tm).
T is for “Take the first step”
This opening statement is critical. I urge you to write it down and then practice it. It should not exceed one minute. Your words will have more impact if you are concise. Another requirement is to be specific. Your feedback should address the reasons for poor quality reports (an opinion).
A second tip is to own your comments. You must acknowledge your comments, even if the line manager was not present at the underperformance. Do not use “they said” or passive voice. Instead, say “I understand that your presentation to Credit Committee was poor because your figures were incorrect. You had also missed key facts.”
Let me share two final points. First, focus on one issue at a given time. This will mean you may have to meet for a while, or many times, but it is the best way to address the issues that together make up the individual’s underperformance. Use TELL(tm) whenever you feel like it.
It is important to not only make your point but to also clearly and succinctly demonstrate the area of underperformance. It is important to mention your goals and what you want to see happen to stop the underperformance. This will show you are constructive.
The is an acronym for “Exchange”
The second phase of a conversation about underperformance is when you cease speaking. This happens one minute after you have started speaking, and another second after you have finished your opening statement.
Now it’s the turn of the other person to speak. This is the beginning of a productive dialogue that is based on mutual respect and active listening.
This is your goal: To encourage team members to take responsibility for their performance. This is not about blaming. Denial is also not an option. If denial is your response, you should end the meeting immediately and allow the person to think. You should arrange to meet within a few days.
If your team member is open to sharing their opinions, you can point out the naive excuses but fully acknowledge legitimate concerns. You will both be able to reach the truth together by doing this.
‘L” stands for ‘create links’
Managers who give negative feedback are often unaware of the consequences of under-performance. But, we need to address under-performance because it has serious consequences. Let me ask you to take the time to explain to your team members the negative consequences of underperformance to them and to others. It is about them not reaching their full potential at work, not being eligible to advancement, and not being compensated for their efforts. In short, they are letting themselves down in many ways.
It is about the person who does not perform well relative to other team members. They contribute to a poor image of the company, they allow the firm to fail to meet its commitments, and this can lead to reputational damage. As motivation is about giving people the feeling that they are part of something greater than themselves, holding them accountable for their behavior around others is just as important.
‘L” again is for Look forward’
Understanding the negative consequences of underperformance is crucial as these may need to be addressed during the remediation phase. You must first understand what you did wrong to fix it. In the fourth and final stage of a discussion about under-performance, it’s time to examine ways to close that gap in performance. To plan how to get from an under-performing situation to one of acceptable performance, Some line managers rush to this stage, even though they are well-meaning. They offer quick solutions to help their team members improve their performance. This is where the problem lies. If they don’t allow their team members to take full responsibility for their performance, they can encourage dependence. Team members will turn to their’mommy’ manager for help at every turn. Managers want to work with responsible adults, not children.
Let your team member decide for themselves what they would like to do about their low performance. Let them look at remediation options. Let them request training. Let them determine what support they may need. This will make them feel more confident in their work environment and help them avoid feeling overwhelmed by the task of finding the best solutions to the world’s problems.
This is it. A simple, but powerful process that you can use to stop dreading discussing underperformance and instead address it constructively and promptly.
Author of “5 Gear Shifts that will Accelerate Your Career!” report, Alexandra helps ambitious and high-performing professionals tackle their frustration at work so that they resolve a complex problem, find a way out of a difficult situation or achieve a personally-meaningful objective. Alexandra is a Career Accelerator and works with talented individuals to get the promotion they want, organize a move within the company to another group, achieve success quickly in a new position, and clarify their next job search.
Alexandra’s clients are able to do more exciting work that they love, not get stuck in one type of job. They also have the opportunity to learn how to manage others and lead if necessary. This helps them make a bigger impact on their business and increase their income.
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