Best Practices For Addressing Underperformance

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴? Follow this 5-step framework to get magical results. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 of my client for your easy understanding: Meet Mark, a team leader in a growing tech company. One of his top employees, 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲, 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, avoided communication, and wasn’t engaged in team discussions. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 her because he didn’t want to demoralize her or cause conflict. However, the longer he waited, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱, and Jane’s career progress stalled. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁: 𝟭) 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: Mark told Jane, “We need to complete the project by next Friday. Let’s go over the steps to make sure everything’s clear.” 𝟮) 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: Instead of vague criticism, Mark said, “You missed last week's deadline. Let’s figure out why and prevent this next time.” 𝟯) 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: When Jane shared she was overwhelmed, Mark asked, “What support do you need to stay on track?” 𝟰) 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “We need to address the missed deadlines, Jane. Let’s talk about what’s causing this so we can fix it together.” 𝟱) 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: Mark said, “I’ll help you organize your tasks, but it’s crucial that you meet the deadlines we’ve set.” 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸? • Lack of Feedback Skills • Poor Communication Skills • Fear of Conflict • Low Team Morale 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲: • He set clear, measurable goals for Jane. • He started giving regular, constructive feedback. • He improved his listening skills to better understand Jane’s challenges. • He faced the issues directly with a calm, problem-solving mindset. • He held Jane accountable for her performance while providing support. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 • Jane began meeting deadlines and actively contributing to team discussions. • Team morale improved, and Mark became a more confident leader. 𝗣.𝗦. Ready to transform your leadership style and unlock your team’s full potential? 📩 Drop me a message, and let’s create a tailored strategy for you. #peakimpactmentorship #leadership #success #interviewtips #communication

As an EY Partner, I gave feedback to thousands. Master the art of feedback - skyrocket your leadership: Bad feedback creates confusion. Good feedback sparks growth. Use the CSS (Clear, Specific, Supportive) framework to make your feedback land without friction. No more awkward silences or sugarcoating disasters: 1. Give positive feedback that actually feels valuable. ❌ Don’t say: “Great job!” ✅ Instead say: “Hey [Name], I really liked how you [specific action]. It made a real impact on [outcome]. Keep doing this—it’s a game-changer.” Why it matters: → Reinforces what actually works 2 Address underperformance without demotivating. ❌ Don’t say: “You need to improve.” ✅ Instead say: “I appreciate your effort on [project]. One area to refine is [specific issue]. A great way to improve would be [solution or resource]. Let’s check in next [timeframe] to see how it’s going.” Why it works: → Pinpoints the issue without personal criticism 3. Redirect someone without crushing their confidence. ❌ Don’t say: “This isn’t what I wanted.” ✅ Instead say: “I see where you were going with [work]. One way to make it even stronger is [specific suggestion]. What do you think about this approach?” Why it works: → Keeps feedback constructive, not critical 4. Push back on an idea (without sounding like a jerk). ❌ Don’t say: “I don’t think this will work.” ✅ Instead say: “I see the thinking behind [idea]. One challenge I foresee is [issue]. Have you considered [alternative approach]? Let’s explore what works best.” Why it works: → Keeps it a discussion, not a shutdown 5. Handle conflict without escalating it. ❌ Don’t say: “You’re wrong.” ✅ Instead say: “I see it differently—here’s why. Can we walk through both perspectives and find common ground?” Why it works: → Creates space for solutions, not arguments 6. Help someone level up their leadership. ❌ Don’t say: “You need to be more of a leader.” ✅ Instead say: “I see a lot of leadership potential in you. One way to step up is by [specific behavior]. I’d love to support you in growing here—what do you think?” Why it works: → Focuses on potential, not deficits 7. Coach someone who is struggling. ❌ Don’t say: “You need to step up.” ✅ Instead say: “I’ve noticed [specific challenge]. What’s getting in the way? Let’s find a way to make this easier for you.” Why it works: → Focuses on support, not blame 8. Give feedback to a peer without sounding like a boss. ❌ Don’t say: “You should have done it this way.” ✅ Instead say: “I had a thought—what if we tried [alternative]? I think it could help with [goal]. What do you think?” Why it works: → Encourages shared ownership of improvement 9. Close feedback on a high note. ❌ Don’t say: “Just fix it.” ✅ Instead say: “I appreciate the work you put in. With these adjustments, I know it’ll be even better. Looking forward to seeing how it evolves!” Why it works: → Ends on a motivating note — ♻️ Repost it to help others grow.

I never thought I’d be this guy on LinkedIn, but here goes. I was in a Lyft the other day, having a conversation with the driver… He got to sharing a bit about his new business venture. He was working with 5 partners, and they were having issues with one of the individuals who wasn’t pulling his weight.  Never being one to shy away from unsolicited advice, and since I had a 30 minute drive home from the auto shop where I had dropped off my car, I walked him through the same steps I take when I need to have a Difficult Conversation (shoutouts to Bill Cronic for sharing the foundation for this framework) 1️⃣ Double check the problem  Look at the KPIs or the recent deliverables. Talk to your peers if you need to.  Once you start this process, you can’t un-ring that bell, so have all your information organized ahead of time. 2️⃣ Present to this individual how you perceive their performance DON’T SAY: “You’re a person who doesn’t complete your work on time.”  DO SAY: “from my point of view your work isn’t consistently being completed on time.”  Two reasons: a) It’s human nature to get defensive; but while they may disagree about who they are as a person, it’s harder to object to your point of view.  b) You’re still talking about performance vs. desired outcome. But this way the issue feels fixable. Someone can change their behavior; it feels harder to fundamentally alter who they are as a person. If you need it you already have your objective facts and specific examples pulled together from step 1.  3️⃣ Ask for their point of view  Be curious about what they think are the reasons, and be prepared for some hurt feelings. You should end up in one of two places a) “You’re right. This part of what I’ve been doing hasn’t met expectations.”  Good news. You’re on the same page. Skip to step 4. b) “I disagree. Everything has gone great. The only problem is your perception of my work.” Good news. If you’ve completed Step 1, then you know this isn’t true. Moving on isn’t fun, but now it’s easier - the individual has told you they aren’t the right person for the job, nor will they ever be. 4️⃣ Mutually agree on an action plan Be as specific as you can about KPIs, deliverables, etc. Your attitude should be “if you do your part, I will do my part to help you succeed.” 5️⃣ (this one is often forgotten).  Monitor and follow up! You’ve agreed on a plan. You should be checking in as frequently as possible to ensure that any performance improvement is persistent. Backsliding can happen - it’s up to YOU to stay on top of it. Bonus: Before you go into a conversation, write down your notes Difficult Conversations have that name for a reason. Give yourself an advantage and have your major talking points and key data at your fingertips before starting What do you think? Did I point my Lyft driver in the right direction or should he downgrade his rating of me based on bad advice?