In leadership, managing team dynamics is crucial, yet one of the most challenging aspects often lies in addressing the elephant in the room: underperformance.
As a leader, it's very likely that you are dealing with or will soon be dealing with an underperformer on your team. Sometimes, they are hard to spot, but their impact on the team can be significant.
So, how do you know when one of your employees is underperforming?
1⃣ Setting KPIs—With specific team and individual performance indicators, you can monitor your top and low performers and address the issue head-on.
2⃣ 360-degree performance evaluations—Ask peers and even other managers how your team members are doing. You don't have to depend on a gut feeling. Their feedback will be invaluable in determining who on your team needs additional support or encouragement.
3⃣ Track the volume of work they have - underperforming begets more underperforming. Other people know who on the team will get the job done and who won't, so the top performers soon have all the work, and the low performers have nothing to do.
Ok, so now you know someone is underperforming. What do you do about it?
✅ Determine if they're in the correct position - their performance might have more to do with their lack of training or skill set than their laziness. I have moved a low performer into a position I thought would be a better fit and watched that person become the top performer on that team.
✅ Do they have the right tools? Our world is very technology-driven, especially in healthcare. Clunky software or a slow internet connection can slow down someone's performance and frustrate them to the point of doing nothing. Make sure they have the tools they need to be efficient and productive.
✅ Put them on a performance improvement plan - if you've tried everything and the person is still not meeting your performance expectations, put them on a PIP and meet with them regularly to ensure they're improving. You may need to start removing them from the team, primarily if you determine that removing them would let the team do more.
If you are a leader or you have a leader struggling with an underperformer and unsure how to handle it, don't hesitate to reach out. Let's strategize together to elevate your team's performance. 🚀
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