It's not me, it's probably you

This week, I, like many others, watched in a semi-state of shock as Jadon Sancho - once of the Manchester parish now loaned back to Borussia Dortmund - destroyed Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League. Where did that come from? Sancho had been brought into Manchester Utd with a massive transfer fee and huge wages, yet he hadn't delivered. He'd then fallen out with the manager and been exiled on loan in disgrace.

He was deemed a waste of money and almost a figure of fun for Man Utd fans. but clearly, he isn't - he looks like a top player now - the player Man Utd thought they were once buying, albeit in another environment.

So, is the problem him or Man Utd?

I don't think he's blameless in the situation, but I'd make his employer far more culpable.

In the world of employment, have you ever known someone who fell flat on their face in one job but was then a roaring success in another?

I have.

I've seen Recruiters who've been sacked for underperformance in one company and risen to be Directors in another. Clearly, they must've had something the first company missed or not been given an opportunity to best utilise their talents.?

Putting aside possible personal issues someone may have had or the fact that in some (rare) cases someone may use a professional failure as fuel to drive them to success in another situation, there are lots of reasons why employees fail or underperform through no fault of their own.

If people don't know what their boss or organisation wants - or if that thing keeps changing - they can't be expected to deliver it effectively! ? ?

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Is what the business is asking of them realistic? If people feel beaten before they've started, it's difficult to get the best out of them.?

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If people don't have the skills necessary, they'll struggle. An employer or leader's job is to make sure the team doesn't fall through the cracks and so should upskill people where necessary.

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People need regular feedback when performing tasks so corrective action can be taken. Better to nip something in the bud rather than let it get out of hand.

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Praise and positive feedback when someone has improved or delivered on a key project or task is important. Sometimes even if they're trying, but are below standard, encouragement counts for a lot. Also, we shouldn't forget that the power of saying thank you is massively underrated.

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One-on-one coaching on a particular task is still the most effective way of improving someone's skill at something. (Sorry for those of you who love working from home - you'll probably have to come into the office for this!)

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Is the environment a motivational one and likely to get people to produce their best work? Individuals collectively create the environment, but it's an employer's responsibility to set the tone.

Are all employees equal yet some more equal than others? This can be very de-motivating for staff if they see others being treated differently or not held to the same standards.?

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Sometimes people start off on the wrong path and it doesn't suit them. Before someone gets fired, management needs to evaluate whether they're making the best use of their talents. They might not be suited to the role they're doing, but they might be well-suited to something else. It's only fair to see what that might be. ?

If you can tick all these boxes and someone still isn't performing, maybe they aren't right for the company and need to be performance managed which might result in a parting of ways. But there are a lot of instances where people are judged not to have performed where they simply haven't had the right support.? ?

Thinking back to Mr Sancho, some of the things on this list may well apply to him. It doesn't seem that likely he'll go back to Man Utd.?and it'll be pretty embarrassing for them if he flourishes elsewhere.

Don't be the business that's the one blot on someone's copybook on an otherwise really successful CV. If people fail with you, it should be down to them, rather than the flaws in your management or organisation.?