Solutions to poor performance and motivation at work are everywhere, and all organizations have people in them who are underperforming. These people constitute a severe challenge – in the first instance, to the effectiveness of the organization and the business’s survival.
One underperforming coworker is an issue; many constitute a crisis, and a critical mass can create that circumstances in which fire-fighting is so endemic that the natural source of danger is no longer visible to the participants as they face wave upon wave shattering upon them.
In altering degrees of severity, an underperforming person places a strain on the organization by failing to accomplish targets. But worse than this are the costs which spiral upwards alongside the person’s failure to attain targets. Their failure puts more direct pressure on performers and managers to compensate, which they are increasingly compelled to do.
However, there are ways you can manage underperformers, and we will explore below.
- Decide whether you’re ready to continue investing in the underperforming coworker/coworkers. Yes, I said it. If you don’t want to continue investing in them, relieve them from duty, or perhaps demote them into something that’s not as challenging. However, if you still want to push them towards efficiency, then read ahead.
- It’s emotionally draining to keep faking status or success that’s not legitimate. So check out if they understand the fact that they’re underperforming and see whether they’ll accept help. Self-realization is essential, and you must check if they realize their failure.
- Don’t overpraise. Letting the praise stand alone can push your underperforming employees to think that everything they do is outstanding. Use constructive criticism as means to handle them.
- Sit with them and create agreed targets and goals together. They must recognize your expectations. Highlight where they are connected to the organization’s purpose or team. Having the right balance of challenge and skill and a clear sense of purpose is integral to engagement.
Helping an ignorant underperformer be more realistic about their profession requires a lot of involvement and attention. Understanding what’s driving their lack of awareness will either help you decide what support they need to confirm or improve your assessment that they just might not be able to complete the job requirements.
Now You Know
