You’re a new manager and your team is underperforming. How can you turn things around?

As a new manager, you need to have ice breaking session with team. This will engage employees and develop trust and mutual understanding. Also create forum of open discussion and ask them how can be they contribute more. Go back to childhood memories where our parents used to negotiate with us. If you get good marks, we will get you a bicycle. If you do this, we will give you this. Believe in your team and start negotiating with them like our parents used to do to keep them motivated. As a manager we have to provide feedback to our team with a thumb rule of correcting them privately and praising publicly. It will result in improving performances and keep them motivated.

To improve performance, I'll first listen to my team to understand their challenges. Then, I'll set clear goals, provide support, and offer training if needed. Regular feedback and recognition will also motivate them. Together, we'll focus on communication and teamwork to turn things around. Fostering a culture of communication and teamwork is essential for long-term success. Encouraging open communication channels and promoting collaboration among team members can help overcome challenges and drive collective success.

Identify root causes, foster open communication, set clear goals, provide support and resources, and lead by example to inspire improvement.

Some useful ways to make sure your team is performing- -Schedule one-on-one meetings to understand individual challenges and concerns. -Provide targeted training and resources to address skill gaps. -Foster a supportive and collaborative team culture to boost morale. -Set clear performance expectations and provide regular feedback for improvement.

My rule is first to know your subordinates. A successful Manager has to know all the issues and concerns of his team members. One to One Discussion and meetings with team members can resolve their weaknesses. Motivation is a Key. Perform well and get good benefits. Manage fortnightly reports of each team member. Evaluate assigned tasks. Manage his workload. Give them the confidence to overcome underperforming issues.

Before you go set (or push) expectations on the team, pause and make sure you are all in alignment or any plan you can make is going to meet resistance. Provide transparency If your team doesn't track KPIs, don't know how bad things are, aren't exposed all the facts or figures... They'll imagine facts and invent whatever narrative they want to believe. Create alignment If your team is not aligned with the values and mission of the company or your team values and mission, you will not get their full effort. Motivate Don't put the weight of your troubles on them. Use facts and a shared mission to challenge them to surpass their past selves. Give them new tools, tactics and more agency to succeed. Ok, now go ahead and set expectations!

Often lack of clarity surrounding expectations and roles, can be one of the biggest reasons that things aren't progressing. Even if you think you have created the best work environment possible, we all bring our workplace traumas with us. Take time to create collaborative norms and expectations of staff and leaders. For projects, it's important to take the time to get in alignment with goals and project roles (which may not always align to position title) in addition to clear deliverables and timelines. It's amazing what we assume someone else already "should just know".

First, ensure that each team member understands their individual roles and the specific outcomes they are responsible for. It's important to communicate the overall goals of the team clearly, highlighting how each person's contributions fit into the bigger picture. Establish measurable and achievable performance standards, so everyone knows what success looks like and can gauge their progress. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can help maintain focus and provide opportunities for adjustments as needed. By fostering an environment where expectations are transparent, and accountability is encouraged, you can empower your team to reach and exceed their performance goals.

Before you set clear expectations, check if the individual can really achieve the goals, if not - check with them why and what they would need to go ahead. With group targets, you can figure out if they are achievable with the team after you know each individual and their strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on Building Relationships You are now in the business of managing relationships. Once a quarter audit your time. How much time are you spending engaged in activities meant to foster stronger relationships with your team? Rate each relationship on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is weak and 10 is very strong. Craft a strategy for continuing to develop your strong ones and triage the weak ones. Ask yourself why they are weak and what you can learn from them. Avoid finger pointing and hold up the mirror to reflect on your own opportunities for improvement. Extreme cases of under-performance do not warrant time or effort. These however are few and far between.

Initiate individual meetings with team members to assess their strengths and weaknesses, and identify training needs. Segment the team based on skill levels, arranging progress check-ins accordingly. Empower top performers to take on leadership roles and assist in mentoring underperforming colleagues. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members to foster growth and improvement.

Start by offering constructive feedback that focuses on behaviors and outcomes, not personal attributes, to help team members understand what they need to improve. Make sure to recognize and commend good performance as well, which can boost morale and encourage positive behaviors across the team. Engage in one-on-one coaching sessions to address individual challenges, offering guidance, support, and resources to help each member develop their skills and confidence. Encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement, where feedback is regularly sought and shared. By investing time in feedback and coaching, you can build a stronger, more capable team that's equipped to overcome challenges and achieve its goals.

The success of any project depends upon team efforts. And if they have given 100% always recognize and appreciate the efforts. Be it like nominating for any awards or sharing appreciation mails at end of sprints for successful completion or even if you conquer something complex appreciate the efforts. At the end who doesn't like rewards. This keeps the the team motivated and in good spirits!!

Acknowledge both the big wins and the small victories; this can significantly boost morale and motivation. Personalize recognition to make it more meaningful, whether it's through public praise during meetings, a personal note, or a shout-out in a team newsletter. Implement a rewards system that aligns with your team's values and goals, such as extra time off, professional development opportunities, or other incentives that resonate with them. Encourage a culture of appreciation where team members feel valued for their contributions, fostering a positive work environment. By consistently recognizing and rewarding efforts, you reinforce desired behaviors and drive your team towards sustained improvement and success.

A reward for an employee can also be a little appreciation task like you say thank you. In most cases the people seek for acceptance and not only for monetary or other beneficial rewards.

Positive enforcement always work wonders. Whenever you feel your team is underperforming, try to give them reward. It could be monetary or non-monetary, like giving them a certificate of the most hardworking employee or a performance bonus.

Have honest, private conversations with those who are struggling, aiming to understand the root causes of their underperformance, be it personal challenges, skill gaps, or unclear expectations. Offer specific, actionable feedback that helps them see where they need to improve and how they can do it. Develop a clear, mutually agreed upon performance improvement plan that includes achievable goals, regular check-ins, and support mechanisms like training or mentorship. Be patient yet firm, showing that you are committed to their growth but also expect to see progress. Handling underperformance with empathy and clarity not only helps in resolving current issues but also sets a precedent for accountability and high standards within your team.

In my experience having honest dialogue with your under performers always works. Remember, low performance can be sue to various reasons including job misfit, poor onboarding & shadowing etc. It is also important that the action plan you co create puts accountability on the low performer and clearly spells out the support you are willing to provide as a manager. Regular and frequent reviews will help to track performance better. Important that all conversations and reviews are documented for clarity and transparency.

Underperformance could often be a side effect of other pressures on a person - possibly outside of work. A conversation with that person could reveal that they're going through a personal battle. Jumping to conclusions and letting a person go because you believe they're underperforming - and it could be accurate based on set expectations - the conversation leads to greater insights, and with a transparent conversation, giving the person a view of your understanding that he is underperforming, set clear achievable targets, with timeframes, and support to get there, the targets don't seem unachievable, but having support also let's the person achieve it. It will also build your relationship allowing trust to enter - & future collaboration.

soyez un modèle de leadership positif, montrant de l'engagement et de la résilience. Le changement prend du temps, mais avec persévérance et empathie, vous pouvez transformer les performances de votre équipe.

In my experience, there's always a need to define the problem/s or the root causes of the problems. Usually, people will not tell their problems because of fear etc...Further some problems are not palpable So the 1st solution, is the creation of a comprehensive questionnaire that encompasses all aspects of a person, group, or the entire organization. For instance, there should be a question to ask on how happy the employees are or how they trust the management and vice versa. Further, problems can emanate from their own families , so a question like, how happy are you with your wife/ husband/ children should be part of the questions. In summary, dissecting the real problem/s is the most important aspect of solving the issues.

Your leadership style is key to a performing team. First, define who you want to be as a leader - by defining your values, gathering inspiration from modern approaches to leadership with a focus on flexibility, adaptability, collaboration, and empowerment. I can recommend books like Dare to Lead, Radical Candor, Principles, and Leaders eat last. Use them for inspiration and pick the puzzle pieces that reflect you and who you want to be as a leader. Being a great leader means continuously working on yourself, it's a lifelong journey, and it involves a lot of self care; You can’t foster their development if you neglect yours; Leadership is not about being flawless, it's about being authentic, adaptable & committed to growth.

Communication: Have open dialogues to understand challenges and offer support. Clear Goals: Set achievable goals with measurable outcomes to provide direction. Training: Offer relevant training to enhance skills and confidence. Feedback: Provide constructive feedback regularly to guide improvement. Motivation: Recognize achievements and boost morale to inspire productivity. Accountability: Hold team members accountable for their responsibilities. Lead by Example: Demonstrate commitment and professionalism to instill confidence. Adjustment: Be flexible to adapt strategies based on feedback and performance trends.

Turning around an underperforming team requires a combination of strategic planning, effective communication and team building. 1. Restructure Tasks: Evaluate each team member's strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. And restructure tasks and responsibilities accordingly. 2. Establish Accountability: Have regular chats with each team member. Make sure everyone knows they're responsible for their work. 3. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Encourage folks to share ideas, work together, and support each other. 4. Stay Positive and Persistent: Stay positive, resilient, and persistent throughout the turnaround process. Rome wasn't built in a day, and transforming an underperforming team will take time & effort.