You're managing an underperforming team member. How can you unlock their full potential within the team?

Once, I managed Bob, an underperforming team member who was always late. Instead of reprimanding, I turned it into a game. I challenged Bob to a "Productivity Showdown." Each week, we'd compete on who could complete tasks faster and more accurately. The prize? Loser buys coffee. Bob's competitive side kicked in, and he started arriving early, prepping to win. Over time, his performance soared, and he became a top contributor. The team loved the friendly competition, and Bob never bought coffee again. By making improvement fun and engaging, I unlocked Bob's full potential.

Consistent appraisal, has a way of identifying in a timely manner the strengths and weakness of employees, supervisors , managers , owners, systems,policies and procedures, within any organisation. So daily , weekly, bi weekly and monthly team briefings and one on one interactions between employees and employees, mangers and employees , about their performance, their teams performance and the organisations overal performance relative to their individual performance, enable individual employees identify their weaknesses, but more importantly, they are able to with the help of their supervisors and colleagues find solutions to improving performance, changing their weakness to opportunities, then to strengths in the long run.

- Conduct a meeting with the employee to discuss performance issue reasons -Re Communicate job description and set performance expectations clear. Make sure the employee understands well what is exactly required from them to help them focus on what they shall be delivering. Document the meeting and share it with the employee to be accessible. - Put a timeline for regular check ins and follow up on performance and progress. Offer guidance, performance coaching and consistent constructive feedback. - If there is progress make sure its recognized

As an HR Manager, unlocking an underperforming team member's potential involves understanding their challenges, providing targeted support and training, setting clear goals aligned with team objectives, offering constructive feedback, and fostering a motivating environment. Empower them to take initiative in their development while emphasizing the team's collective success.

Assessing the situation greatly helps to understand the underperforming team member. To unlock the potential the following can be considered: 1. Carefully assess the current working situation or the project scenario in which the person is working. It can also be the case that he is unable to perform due to some external factors in the project. 2. Strategise and allocate small tasks and carefully monitor his progress. 3. Have a one to one conversation for better understanding. 4. Constantly monitor his progress and allocate specific tasks with deadline.

Setting clear and objective expectations is best achieved through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Furthermore, providing additional training to employees who do not meet these KPIs can significantly improve outcomes. For instance, if an employee falls short of their KPIs in a specific area, ensure they receive targeted training or resources that address their weaknesses. This approach not only supports their development but also enhances overall performance and productivity.

Now that you know the ground you walk, it is time to identify the gaps to close, what needs to be done, and more importantly how to do it. This time, you will be the one setting the meeting, sending the agenda in advance, giving her/him some time to digest the subjects to be discussed, and preparing responses for potential questions from you during the meeting. Demonstrate to her/him that no one wants her/him to recover performance more than you. Avoid any talk about consequences, she/he must focus on performance. Be clear that you will be there providing guidance and any help needed.

Use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to set clear expectations. This approach provides clarity, direction, and a sense of purpose, which can significantly impact an underperforming employee's turnaround.

Estabele?a expectativas claras e específicas para o desempenho do membro da equipe. Certifique-se de que ele entenda seus papéis e responsabilidades, assim como os padr?es de desempenho esperados. Definir metas mensuráveis e realistas proporciona um caminho claro para a melhoria e permite que o membro da equipe saiba exatamente o que precisa fazer para atingir suas metas.

I prefer use the word set goals and objectives that is SMART and define plans from mentoring to training and even in some cases I as a senior member asked other team members to help secretly. Always keep in mind that person through the interaction with the system could gain his own optimum performance.

Consistently providing support to underperforming team members is crucial. It ensures they can learn and regain confidence to perform better. We must actively listen to their concerns and offer guidance on improvement. Seeking to understand their perspective is essential. Additionally, granting them time and utilizing effective tools—such as training, mentoring, or coaching—facilitates their growth. With the right support, they will regain confidence and strive to meet performance expectations.

I believe, offering essential support is the best thing to do in this case. Make the person feel more inclusive and try not to exclude him from certain activities and tasks. This will make them feel more confident, and connected, and they will most likely start performing better (exceptions here could be people who just don't want to work at all!).

Create a personalized development plan that combines various learning methods to address specific skill gaps. Example - Online courses for technical skills Pairing with a senior for hands-on learning Weekly check-ins to discuss progress and challenges This multi-faceted approach not only improves the employee's skills but will also boost their confidence and engagement.

Proporcione o suporte necessário para que o membro da equipe possa melhorar. Isso pode incluir treinamento adicional, recursos educativos, orienta??o ou mentoria. Disponibilize-se para responder perguntas e oferecer feedback construtivo. Ao demonstrar que você está investindo no desenvolvimento dele, você aumenta a motiva??o e a confian?a do colaborador.

As a leader, you are expected to support and provide guidance, even more for a team member who is not performing. Engage, encourage, inspire, and motivate them to ask questions and seek your help when needed. Remember, you are responsible for building a business environment based on trust and transparency with your team. Be open, and smart with them providing positive feedback regularly for things done the right way, and save the constructive ones when you are in private. Create the habit of meeting each team member weekly in 1:1s, this is an excellent management tool to help your team grow as a team and individual as professionals.

Crie um ambiente de trabalho positivo que incentive a colabora??o, o respeito e o reconhecimento. Um ambiente acolhedor pode aumentar significativamente a moral e a produtividade. Elogie o progresso e as conquistas do membro da equipe, mesmo que sejam pequenas, para refor?ar o comportamento positivo e aumentar a confian?a.

As mentioned, you are responsible for creating a business environment based on trust and transparency, one of the most challenging tasks a leader has to reach, on top of delivering and meeting the company's short-/mid-/long-term objectives. By knowing each team member's competencies and skills, you will have the opportunity to develop ways to make them interact positively, providing help and support to each other. You will realize that more people engage, some even unconsciously, in recovering the underperforming team member, and the other way around because she/he will feel valued.

You will not stop monitoring team members after being promoted to a leadership position. Get used to it rapidly. This skill will be even more required when you have underperforming team members. Certify, please do not ask her/him directly about it, that what you discussed in private 1:1s is being applied honestly and to make it a habit. Acknowledge progress and provide positive recognition of the performed changes, asking her/him to run a quick back-to-back, comparing how tough the execution was vs. now, and give some sense of the dimension of the step forward made.

Acompanhe o progresso regularmente para garantir que as mudan?as estejam surtindo efeito. Agende reuni?es de acompanhamento para discutir os avan?os e os desafios encontrados. Utilize essas reuni?es para ajustar as estratégias conforme necessário e fornecer feedback contínuo. Isso demonstra comprometimento com o desenvolvimento contínuo do membro da equipe.

First task is to find out if it is a will or a skill by being honest and upfront. A lot of managers will shy away from this as they see it as a "challenging" conversation, when really it is a conversation of support that highlights the issues and what is needed. Skill you can coach, train, develop and potentially bring them to fulfill some of their potential.. ..if it is will then it is normally a case of managing them out before there is a knock on effect to the rest of the team. Though it is difficult you can change a persons behaviours but not a persons personality and the biggest challenge most managers have is knowing when to cut ties.

Existes inúmeras estratégias para abordar o mesmo problema. Tomar a frente e liderar reuni?es para solucionar o problema ou trabalhar de forma colaborativa no mapeamento e desenvolvimento de processos ou segmentando os processos e delegando atividades específicas para cada integrante do grupo.

There two aspects: 1 - Is person going through any health (mental/Physical health issues) This needs immediate attention else no plan will fly. 2 - Ensure Person is fit for the Role: Creative people doing a Procedural job may not get you best out of him/her. we need to make sure we have have right place for the person. Role Clarity: Does person understand role and impact the role has in ecosystem. what we are doing and why we are doing My Growth Path- How this role will help Individual to evolve and do good in life

You can try to connect with that employee using success stories and motivational words. This will help the employee to understand the feeling of work satisfaction and you might see positive results.

Any way you might find out that investment on such person is not profitable or actions you have done failed to result so you should consider to move this person to other job positions or fire him but always treated respectfully