Not Meeting Expectations - Addressing underperformance

Some leaders may think of addressing poor performance as the “Big Bad Wolf” of leadership jobs and they fear having to do it. Instead, they circumvent it or cross their fingers hoping the situation never arises. When it does, they run in the other direction.

Not only is this bad leadership but it’s also bad for the success of the company, for company morale and for the unity and strength of teams. Honestly, it’s bad for everyone!

A good leader must address poor performance head-on, welcoming the conflict and expecting a positive result for both the employee and the company, turning that “Big Bad Wolf” into a cuddly husky instead.

Jon Greenwood, former executive at Huntington National Bank, talks of handling poor performance like he talks of lunch—as a daily fact of life. After managing 6500 staff members across 11 states, he came to handle underperformances amongst his teams quickly and easily with a few rules of thumb that he developed along the way.

His motto, “Fail Fast, Fail Forward, and Let’s Go,” gave space for all those he worked with to fail and learn. He recalls his own failures in his early years working as a sales representative. He says he spent time in his car after work each day identifying all the silly questions he asked customers during his cold calls. He committed to doing it better the next day.

His empathy for his employees mixed with his experience and leadership skills, led him to develop key ways to address underperformance on his teams.

Tips on leading through underperformance:

Make Metrics Visible:

Jon made a habit of sending a metrics report to all his direct reports every week. This ensured that each employee knew when the numbers were being hit and when they weren’t. No employee would be surprised by a conversation about missing goals if they were seeing it each week. In any industry, make performance visible in such a way that creates openness about it without creating shame or guilt. Make it a fact of the job and a way that employees can encourage one another, know where they stand, and keep working hard to succeed.

Engage Quickly:

Jon says, “hard conversations don’t get easier over time.” If someone is underperforming and the numbers are visible, then that person is most likely aware of it. The sooner a conversation is had, the better. This will help the employee get on the right track quicker and/or it will reveal problems or issues sooner so they can be resolved, wasting less time and possibly averting a larger issue. This is also good for group morale as all group members will trust that their leadership is addressing issues ensuring the success of the entire team.

A Skill Problem or A Will Problem?:

It’s important to determine if an employee is underperforming due to a lack of training or a lack of work ethic. If it’s a lack of skill, then that’s an easier fix. You can come alongside that employee, coaching them in their work and modeling the level of work that you are expecting. If it’s a will problem, that’s a different conversation. Though the skill might be there, if the work isn’t being done up to standards, there needs to be additional motivation, benchmarks or clear consequences if things don’t change.
 

Start a Performance Improvement Plan:

A performance improvement plan is not a slap on the wrist. It’s a helpful tool to create clear communication around what is required of an employee for him or her to be successful at the job. Jon made a habit of giving employees two weeks instead of 30 days to hit the goals outlined in the plan. He noted that if each check-in is pushed out 30 days, it may be half a year before a necessary change is made, wasting valuable time for both the employee and the company.

Make changes:

Be quick to make changes. Jon notes that once you know an employee is not a good fit—not enjoying the job or not willing to do what needs to be done to meet expectations—it’s best to make changes quickly. He says no one wakes up in the morning and decides to stink at their job. Most people want to succeed. If they’re in the wrong seat, then they should be moved quickly to the right one. If they’re not a good fit for the company, then let them go so they and you can both find better fits. With that in mind, Jon also recommends continually recruiting new talent and having a group of possible new hires in the wings. That way, if you must let someone go, you can bring someone new in as quickly as possible.

It's helpful to remember the times that we as leaders also fail. Sometimes we work at a level that’s below expectations and sometimes we need to be made aware of the areas where we could improve. Remembering this creates empathy and love for one another as we work together towards success.

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This blog is based on IOL Podcast #162: Manage Conflict & Performance Improvement Plans with Jon Greenwood. Check it out!

Author: Ashley Buenger