How to turn an underperformer into a star performer

On average, managers spend 14% of their time correcting the mistakes of poor performers according to research conducted by The Future Foundation. That equates to 33½ work days each year.

Yet many managers prefer to avoid having difficult conversations with their under performing staff so the poor performance continues.

Here are 5 steps to help you turn your under performer into employee of the month. 

Step 1: Act now or you’ll regret it later

Under performance needs to be corrected as soon as you notice there’s a problem. The faster you act, the less impact it will have on your business and other members of your team. Don’t wait until a small performance problem becomes a large and irritating one.

Step 2: Define the problem and be specific

Delve under the surface to seek the real reasons for your employee’s poor performance. Can it be improved with more training? Do they have an issue with motivation or team dynamics? Perhaps they are a poor fit for the job but have skills that could be better utilised elsewhere in your organisation?

You will achieve the best results when you truly understand what’s stopping your employee from achieving greatness.

“Take care of your employees and your employees will take care of your customers”.

                                                                                                            - Richard Branson

Step 3: Have an honest conversation

Arrange a private meeting with your employee. Be empathetic, honest and factual when delivering your feedback. Provide your employee with specific examples demonstrating when their performance was lacking and how the task should have been performed.

Step 4: Develop a resolution plan with your employee

Give your employee every chance to succeed by working together to find ways to implement performance improvements. Clearly communicate what is expected, provide measurable outcomes and reasonable timeframes.

Step 5: Monitor progress and give feedback

Schedule regular follow up meetings to review your employee’s performance based on the agreed plan. Continue to provide specific feedback (whether good or bad) and monitor their performance. Importantly, don’t forget to recognise and congratulate them on their efforts and improvements.

Honestly, when you take the time to manage an under performing employee, your efforts will usually be rewarded.

Don’t wait until you’ve lost all patience or the situation reaches a crisis point. Contact End2End Business Solutions to help you manage your under performing staff. Call 02 8977 4002.