Encouraging a struggling team member starts with empathy. Have a private conversation to understand their challenges without assumptions. Set clear, achievable goals to provide direction and boost confidence. Offer necessary support, resources, and training to help them improve. Recognize their efforts, provide constructive feedback, and celebrate small wins. A positive, supportive approach fosters motivation, rebuilds confidence, and enhances overall performance.

Your team member's performance is slipping—how do you address it without causing further demotivation? Start by being a true manager and spending quality time with your team. Avoid the trap of taking over tasks; instead, position yourself as a manager-coach. Support them through both good and challenging moments, providing guidance without undermining their ownership. This approach builds trust, fosters accountability, and helps them regain their footing.

If a team member's performance slips, a non-judgmental, comfortable and empathetic one-on-one conversation can help. Saying something like, “I’ve noticed you are facing some challenges recently, is there anything I can do to support you?” can go a long way. Together, we’d set clear, achievable goals to provide direction and boost confidence. I’d also offer resources or adjust workloads to help them overcome obstacles. Regular check-ins can ensure they feel supported and motivated, fostering improvement.

Approach the situation with empathy and a constructive mindset. Schedule a one-on-one conversation to discuss observations in a supportive tone, focusing on specific behaviors rather than personal attributes. Encourage them to share any challenges or obstacles they might be facing, actively listening to their perspective. Collaboratively create an action plan with clear, achievable goals and provide the necessary resources or support to help them improve. Reinforce your belief in their abilities and express confidence in their potential to succeed, ensuring the conversation ends on an optimistic and motivating note.

Under-performing team members need to be handled with extra care and support. A candid one-to-one conversation works best to understand any personal situation(s) that may be limiting professional commitment and results. Open-ended questions demonstrate empathy and build trust. Often, the calibre of the person is beyond doubt as he/she would not have otherwise been hired in the first place. Its often the prevailing circumstances that hold back the person from giving his/her absolute best. Boosting morale, demonstrating continued confidence in the person’s abilities and setting in place clear expectations often help in restoring the person’s self belief and performance.