[su_quote cite=”Kevin Daum” url=”http://www.inc.com/author/kevin-daum”]Any good leader should be able to assess and motivate good performance. People will fail and make mistakes because they are indeed people and humans are fallible. As a leader, you should do your best to help your people perform at their best even when they are struggling.[/su_quote]
In today’s workforce, most entrepreneurs are so concerned with turnover, profits and growth, but forget those that actually make their expectations come to life. I believe it is possible that a company could have improved results on various entities but the fallout would be a few under performers who just dragged themselves to work. what this really indicates is that results could be better if good leaders just kicked in. Some business fail over and over again, and mostly it will be on bad leadership, since almost most just want the results and forget the means.
So as a good leader or manager, there are tips on how to get your under performing employees back on track. so lets explore a few here;
Address their insecurities.
Lack of confidence is a huge roadblock to competence. When you see an employee cowering in the corner or spending useless energy kicking themselves, you have to intercede. If they are lost in the emotion, help them to relax and find their inner strength. Refocus them on the task at hand and remind them how they got this opportunity in the first place.
Create frequent checkpoints
Some people are simply not adept at setting their own structure. They can get lost in the mayhem and never get back on track. Don’t let them fall to the wayside; solve their accountability issues at their core. Schedule a weekly or bi-weekly meeting where you set goals, identify obstacles, and check on their progress.
Enroll them in training
So often employers expect performance beyond the employee’s skill-set. If you promote the employee to management and fail to give them training, you can’t really blame the employee for poor performance. Invest in your employees. Give them the tools and training to excel at their jobs so the only variable is their effort.
Remind them why they’re important
If an employee seems lost and unmotivated, it’s possible they don’t understand their position and purpose. If your employees lose sight of the “why” of their jobs it’s likely your communication is the culprit. Make culture and alignment a priority in your company so people understand the how, what, and why of your company. If you are clear and consistent in your communication, the fault of straying belongs to them.
Nip it in the bud
Often when a person is not meeting their goals and creating problems with other employees, it just can’t be fixed. The best action is then to act swiftly and help them seek career development elsewhere; specifically another company. Spend too much time hand-holding and your team could get resentful of the bad apple who’s poisoning an otherwise fruitful venture.
Got any comments or insights in this article? I will be glad to read and maybe come up with a more fulfilling article on the same.
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