Imagine this scenario: Two employees, Sam and Sarah, both failed to meet several goals last year. Seems like they’re in the same boat, right? Well, not necessarily. Behind the scenes, their reasons for underperformance could be worlds apart.
Now, picture yourself as their manager. You want to be fair, but you also need to hold your team members accountable for their performance. So, where do you start? It’s important to begin with few questions:
- Is the employee new to the organization? Or Function? Or Role?
- How was his / her performance in the past?
- What has changed in the ecosystem – both internal and external?
- What’s happening in his / her life outside work?
- How has his / her relationship been – with me and others in the team?
Underperformance can happen due to several reasons:
- Lack Fitment to the role. I remember my first job in key account management, I disliked it and didn’t do too well. The reason was not my lack of knowledge or hard skills, but the personality mismatch. A person may also not fit the culture of the organization or function or the team (every team has a subculture with nuances).
2. Ambiguity Overload that naturally comes with many roles today, or simply unclear on the expectations and deliverables.
3. Lack of Capability to deliver the role, be it knowledge, critical cognitive or behavioral skills. While with right mindset and resources, anyone can develop the capability, it is important to identify the mismatch and address it.
4. External Environment can significantly influence performance of an individual, be it dwindling customer pool, entry of new competition, regulatory pressures, difficult terrain… the list can be endless. Within the same organization, people are likely to face varying external pressure.
5. Interpersonal Issues either with the manager or rest of the team or peers. Does the person feel valued? Recognized for his / her contributions? Or empowered to deliver results? It’s important to reflect on this as it needs effort from all parties to rectify interpersonal issues.
6. Personal Battles can be varied: ranging from workplace stress and burnout, boredom with the job, to personal issues at home, poor health, or crisis at home. Sometimes life throws a curve ball and all we can do is keep our head above water.
So, here’s the bottom line: The root cause of underperformance isn’t always obvious. That’s why it’s crucial for managers to play detective and get to the heart of the matter. Only then can we strike the delicate balance between accountability and fairness.
Perspectives 