Dealing with under-performance and poor performance in the workplace

Year end is that time when many employees and line managers undertake annual performance appraisals. For some it’s like a boxing match between line manager and employee. Ideally performance management process should be smooth with limited hiccups in terms of what needs to be delivered by who by when and how. If SMART performance objectives are set and agreed upfront, implementation, monitoring and evaluation become part and parcel of day to day way of doing things. Performance management should be a culture, the way people conduct themselves without being forced. So long as performance management is mechanically driven in a top down approach, it’s bound to generate ill feelings among employees and line managers.

Performance conversation is considered difficult by both line managers and employees. Why is that so? Performance conjures assessment with consequences, sometimes good and other times bad. Performance denotes action. Failure to perform is either poor performance or under-performance depending on the measurement against set standards, norms, and practices. Therefore, performance is a continuum from low to high, poor to good, and it’s never neutral. This makes performance conversation difficult because it sets requests, and promises that pave way for accountability in line with agreed actions, and results. Human beings are naturally social animals and during performance conversations they try to avoid bad news. It takes skill, experience, and professional maturity for both line manager and employee to successfully handle performance conversations. One such technique is to focus on behaviors and not personalities. In other words, deal with performance issues and not the person. That’s a delicate balancing act. Under-performance and poor performance may manifest in the following ways:

• Unsatisfactory work performance.
• Failure to perform duties of a position to the standard required.
• Non-compliance with workplace policies, rules or procedures.
• Unacceptable behavior in the workplace such as disruptive or negative behaviour that impacts on other employees.

Is under-performance the same as poor performance? Yes and No. Yes, in both cases the performance results are not pleasing because of ineptitude. No, in that poor performance means job done poorly. Under-performance means failing to perform. Various factors cause under-performance and poor performance. Poor performance implies there is lack of skill involved in the root cause of poor results. Either the skill did not exist in the first place or was learned incorrectly or never mastered. To correct such a situation one needs to go back to basics and learn or relearn the skill. Hence, training and development may be ideal intervention to remedy the situation. This demystifies the notion that training is the panacea for all performance problems. It can’t be. Certain problems require training and others require other interventions including disciplinary action or even dismissal from employment. Under-performance is having the skills but not being able to apply them effectively. Remember the saying, “There is nothing more common in the world than unsuccessful people with talent.” Training or retraining an under-performing person might not be the solution since the root cause is not skill deficiency. My boss from my other working life had a brilliant saying regarding performance gaps and remedies: if one doesn’t know educate; if one doesn’t want motivate and if one does care exit. Attitude plays a significant contribution to poor and under performance.

Performance conversations arouse emotions, some positive and others negative. One has to exercise a high degree of self-awareness, and self-regulation in order to handle changing emotional temperatures of people. Examine the reasons for poor performance and under-performance. Don’t assume. Rely on facts. Some of the common reasons why someone performs poorly or under-performs include:

• Poorly designed organisation structures compounded by fuzzy reporting lines, and job descriptions.
• Poor recruitment policies such as favoritism resulting in the appointment of people who are not right for a job.
• An employee doesn't know what is expected of him or her due to poor communication. In such a case the line manager is to blame for failing to clearly state goals, standards, policies and consequences.
• Interpersonal differences between line managers and employee resulting in conflict and lack of teamwork.
• Mismatch between employee's capabilities and the job they are required to undertake, or the employee does not have the knowledge or skills to do the job expected of them. This is like ‘putting a square peg in a round hole.’
• Employee does not know whether they are doing a good job because there is no counselling or feedback on their performance.
• Lack of personal motivation due to personal reasons or poor work environment.

What to do in order to close performance gaps:

·       Never bury heads in the sand and ignore under-performance and poor performance. Left unattended, under-performance and poor performance demoralize other hardworking people. In addition, frustration kicks in and conflict becomes unavoidable.

·       Line managers must directly face the elephant in the room and not transfer problems. Some managers will rather transfer a poor performer to another department such as Human Resources or Administration. This is a wrong approach. Don’t ignore situation hoping it will go away. Instead it will get worse.

·       Both line manager and employee should genuinely engage in conversation with a view to find a solution to performance issues.

·       Clearly define problem(s) and ensure all parties concerned understand the problem(s).

·       Prepare for a meeting, and conduct face to face meeting in a place without disturbances.

·       Line manager must use non-threatening language and give the employee a genuine opportunity to respond before considering his/her actions.

·       Develop a performance improvement plan clearly outlining improvement required and the consequences of continued poor performance. The action plan should have performance improvement milestones and time frames for further review. All discussions, including actions to be taken must be documented.

Continuously monitor employee's performance and provide feedback as well as support. Respect confidentiality and not ridicule poor or under performer. Give recognition for positive change. Acknowledge improvements. If there is no improvement take decisive action including disciplinary action if need be. While it may be painful to dismiss someone, it may be the best option for your team and at times for the poor performing person. Such drastic action acts as wake-up call and may trigger improvement in the future.