Comfortable Underperformance!

Two shades of underperformance.

That’s what I’ve encountered in my career. The first is when an employee is underperforming - either because of lack of skills, experience or diligence- and is well aware of it. The other one is when he believes he can preen because he really is at the top of his game. Perhaps no one has yet had the honest conversation to bring him down a couple of pegs.

I seem to have met more than my share of these - and in hindsight, occasionally may have been one myself at some points in my life. A change of boss often throws these underperformers up, especially if the new manager has been recruited from the outside. At the outset, a straight conversation is difficult simply because no one has even broached the notion earlier-and is met with instant self-denial. 

Any attempt to do so will either bring on a sense of “are you after my case” - or even a sneer of the “oh you’re a newcomer-you’ll soon learn how things around here are done” type signal. Winning them over is a tough, but delightful challenge. This is because they have immense potential- but being able to meet their tasks so easily, they’ve never discovered what a stretch can do. Even bigger is the thrill of seeing them discover their own performance potential, and rise to levels and challenges they could never have imagined.

One of the exceptional skills these comfortable underperformers have is an outstanding network through the organisation- and extra-ordinarily high people skills. I have often been successful in latching on to this as a positive lever to challenge them, to accomplish tasks and missions they would have otherwise not even attempted with an “it has never been done” attitude. As a newcomer boss, engaging them to their strengths - and publicly recognising them for it, has helped thaw the initial resistance. It's also made them open to being coached.

In nearly all my experiences, these former underperformers have not only gone on to become accomplished professionals- but also close friends. Just that threshold to be crossed: I am not your opponent because I am demanding of you, it is because I care for you and see tremendous potential and untapped capability.

Comfortable underperformance is a team member’s worst enemy. Helping them individually identify and accept it is a great start into their refreshed careers.

PS: For those interested, journals like HBR have many articles on this- go ahead and browse. It is more common a phenomenon that we’d like to think!

Feel like looking within and checking to see if you’re a comfortable underperformer? Or maybe someone in your team?