How to Manage Strong & Low Performing Team Members

I have discussed how I address team member feedback in other articles I have written. In this article, I want to highlight how I work with team members who aren’t performing as well as I would like.

The 80/20 Rule

If you are unfamiliar with the 80/20 rule, the basic premise is that you will spend 80% of your time with 20% of your team members. These will tend to be your low performers. There are many reasons that someone could be a low performer:

1. The team member could be new to the company
2. They could be lower on the ladder in their experience
3. The project or client they are assigned is more complicated than expected
4. Or, the role the team member is in is just not a good fit for whatever reason

It should be your goal as a manager to level that team member up to high-performing standards.

Maintain Relationships with the Team

Typically, strong performers will need less of your time. Give them your trust, support their independence, and let them run free and do great work. It is important for the business and team to still check in regularly with your high performers to maintain a relationship and work quality, to make sure they are happy in their role, and to keep an eye out for red flags.

Low performers will need more of your management time. You will still want to build trust, but you will need to offer more 1:1 support, like training, reviews, and feedback. For team members within their first year and for team members that may be having issues, I prefer to have frequent 1:1s. I want them to know that I am there to support them, not to look over their shoulder. However, the purpose of the work we are doing is to design great products and satisfy the needs of the business and stakeholders.

Outsider Input

Clients and stakeholders will help to identify team member problems unseen by a manager. They will be the ones working more closely with the team member on a daily basis. Performance or professionalism issues will become more evident to those working closely with the team member. It is good to sync with each of your team member’s clients on a regular basis, weekly if possible. Identify and track gaps in abilities and other performance issues. If there are issues, this will help you to manage the low performer’s relationship with the client from both ends. It will help to get the team member up to speed and close any gaps by providing training and support to the client in feeling heard and seeing improvement in the work going into their project.

Outside Forces

Much of the time, poor team member performance is related to outside-of-work issues that you will have no control over. Things like divorce, relationship issues, family problems, financial problems, etc., will affect the level of effort a team member gives at work and/or adds a level of distraction to their job. If you have a good relationship with your team member, they may feel comfortable sharing the real reasons for their performance. It is important to be a good listener, let them know that you are there to help them work through their slump at work, and offer them support through professional resources.

It is easier to understand and empathize with a team member who is underperforming if there is a reason behind the behavior. While this doesn’t dismiss the performance issues, it is easier to forgive when you understand they are dealing with a life-changing event outside of work.

Be kind. Everyone has something going on in their lives.

Addressing & Tracking Issues

Regardless of the reason, you should approach issues with team members in real time and face-to-face. Start by identifying what they are doing right. Then, clearly outline any noted performance issues and set achievable expectations.

Most importantly, be positive. You are there to help and want them to succeed!

Create a document with the team member outlining how you will work together to resolve any issues. Sometimes this will be outside of your purview. In that case, identify a source at the company or online training that can support the team member’s continued education. Share the outline of what you discussed with the team member so that all expectations are clear. Schedule a follow-up meeting focused on regrouping and assessing if the improvement is being met. It is good to check in for extra support with frequency, but avoid trying to sound like you are nagging.

Loop in HR or leadership about the situation and cc them on the performance improvement outline. Let the team member know beforehand that it is standard procedure to cc others on this email. You don’t want to concern the team member that they are in trouble; however, you want to document issues as they arise and track improvement.

If improvement is not seen over a reasonable amount of time — two to four weeks, depending on the issue or gap in knowledge — it might be time to invite HR to your assessment meetings.

Those That Improve

If the goals for the team member are realistic and achievable, and you are helping them by providing support and training, a good team member will work towards improving their skillset.

There is a possibility that the team member is a low performer because they are checked out, burnt out, not cut out for the role at that time, or done with the company in general. These are issues that are more difficult to work with the team member on. I have found that if a team member trusts you as a manager, they will share with you the real reason they are underperforming. In several cases where team members were just “done” with the role or the company, I’ve supported them in their job search, been a reference on their behalf, and in exchange, that team member started doing better work during the in-between time because they see a light at the end of the tunnel.

…And Those That Do Not

I’ve had team members on my team that started off as low performers. We’ve talked about, documented, and worked through issues. Over time some of those team members ended up becoming some of the strongest members of the team.

In other cases, sadly, I’ve had to let team members go after several opportunities to improve their skills, work on their professional communication with clients and stakeholders, or slow down and follow the requirements of the project. It is never enjoyable to let a team member go, but for the sake of a healthy team and organization and in respect of the team member, it is important not to allow issues to drag on longer than necessary. In these cases, it is important to clearly outline the purpose of termination. It is essential to address termination in real time, as close to an incident as possible. You should have a digital paper trail of outlines for how the team member needs to improve, so this should come as no surprise.

I never like the meetings where you must let a team member go. By no means do I want to make it sound like it is harder on me than it is on the team member losing their job. I can’t help but empathize with my team members, especially at that moment. You build relationships. You invest time and compassion. You are a cheerleader and want them to succeed. I can’t recall a termination meeting where I haven’t also been in tears.

Be Supportive

Building and maintaining a team takes effort and empathy. We want everyone on our team to succeed. Talk to your team members frequently so you can keep a pulse on their happiness in their roles and if there are any issues with their projects or clients. If you start with a team member’s trust, resolving performance issues should be easier.

The images used in this article were created using MidJourney