Hello, hello! I hope you were able to catch last week’s article where we discussed identifying bad performers and recognizing that necessity in addressing the situation. This week we’ll close-out our miniseries by looking at how to address these bad performers. Let’s do a quick recap before diving in.
Recap
As a leader in the middle, it’s important that you are able to recognize the bad apples on your team before the whole batch goes sour. These employees may not have a bad attitude but they also aren’t known for a motivating personality either. Essentially, they do just enough to get by but never go above and beyond their duties.
We also looked at the three reasons why leadership intervene is key when addressing bad performers. This includes setting the right tone for your team and maximizing their full potential by maintaining a standard of excellence. All of this leads to encouraging better individual accountability that will mitigate subpar performers.
Whew! Ok, now let’s dive into how you should address bad performers.
How Do You Address Bad Performers?
1. Deepen the understanding within your team about how bad performers affects them.
“As a leader, you need to show the level of importance each team member plays in the success of the organization and also the opportunities a poor economy brings to each member.”
Bad performers affect the entire team by creating more work and a toxic work environment for all. As a leader, you must take the time to establish an understanding of the challenges that bad performance creates. It’s also important that you explain why it is imperative for you to remove those challenges. Doing this will establish a precedence with each employee that this modality of work will no longer be acceptable. Addressing bad performers in the future will then become the expectation and norm.
2. Set expectations for your team and create action plans to mobilize these goals.
“Recognize the team members who achieve their tasks and immediately address those employees who fail at theirs; hold these employees accountable.”
Putting things in writing solidifies the importance and commitment to an action. Set a requirement that all employees create an action plan that clearly outlines how they will meet their key deliverables. Work with them to ensure these goals are S.M.A.R.T., that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Here are some of the questions that should be addressed by employees when factoring in these considerations.
- Specific- What are the specific steps are required to achieve these goals?
- Measurable- How can I measure and track my progress to meet these goals?
- Achievable- How will I achieve these goals and what steps will I take to get them done?
- Relevant- Why is it important that I achieve these goals? How will it affect my values and objectives?
- Time-bound- How will time affect my task prioritization? When will I need to complete each goal?
When reviewing these plans ensure that each goal is actionable and accountable. Then, put them in motion.
Create a reward system where team members who achieve their tasks are recognized. When persons fall behind, immediately address the situation by holding them accountable. Most leaders fail when they skip this last step, but uncomfortable emotions aside, addressing bad performers starts and ends with establishing personal accountability.
A Final Thought
Bad performance can make or break a team. As a leader, it is your job to coach employees on the organization’s standard of excellence, show them the way to achieve these goals and hold them accountable whether they win or lose.
I’m all about creating a #winningteam. Check out my book, The Sales Leader’s Gameplan, to learn more about building a strong sales team. To find out how to coach them to success go read my book, Coach Up, Serve Down.
