Here's how you can address performance issues and underperforming employees with fairness and support.

We use a Strengths-based approach at Flint Culture to understand & resolve matters. By applying a persons strengths, it allows for a different conversation, that is less about weaknesses or being negative, and more about helping them to succeed. When you understand that people are different & use performance planning to help people use their strengths more often, the conversation becomes more impactful & productive. Sometimes performance issues, might be strengths issues in disguise. Also a strengths-based approach allows managers/individuals to focus more on the future rather than dwelling on the past. As much as possible, we try to re-craft roles, tasks & responsibilities to fit strengths, which has been an interesting shift.

When looking at root causes I’ve found it helpful to think about categorizing it into a will or skill issue - is there something about the activity they aren’t motivated to do, or is it that they don’t know how. These aren’t mutually exclusive but gives you an easy start point for the conversation. Then comes the tricky bit - getting to an honest and objective understanding of the problem. Does the person want to open up to you, is there bias or expectation effects impacting the assessment of capability? But also be ready that even the person themselves may not be able to identity the root cause - and may need help working through this if you really want to try and help them improve.

Private, Respectful Conversation: Discuss performance issues privately to understand root causes. Clear Expectations: Outline expectations and provide specific examples of underperformance. Collaborative Goal Setting: Set achievable goals together to address performance gaps. Provide Resources: Offer training or resources to help bridge skill gaps. Regular Follow-ups: Schedule consistent check-ins to monitor progress and provide feedback. Open Environment: Encourage employees to discuss challenges openly. Recognize Improvements: Praise and acknowledge progress to motivate continued effort. Empathetic Approach: Balance fairness with support to foster employee growth and alignment with goals.

Once the cause of my employee's poor performance has been determined, it is important to motivate the employee. Planning personal, achievable goals step by step helps. Like a staircase. Step by step, until the employee reaches the top. The goals must be achievable, realistic and measurable. On the way to improving performance, further employee motivation discussions are necessary and the employee should be praised for the small goals/steps achieved.

It's important to set clear, realistic, measurable and attainable goals. And ensuring employee's understanding of those expectations.

Have a clear and measurable KRA discussed during the beginning of the employees. Provide metrics so that it will be easier to identify the gaps and unmet expectations. After identifying the gaps, leaders must provide coaching, mentoring and formal training to fill in skill gaps

Clearly define what IS expected from thé employee un terms of performance and behavior. Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals

Once we gain the confidence of employee he can open and share the hardships or reasons for his underperformance and counselling in line with improving the performance to be chalked and discussed with the employee.

- Offer targeted training and development programs. - Ensure necessary resources and tools are available. - Schedule regular feedback and check-in sessions. - Encourage open communication and provide mentorship opportunities.

To address performance issues and support underperforming employees, providing ample support and resources is essential. Offer additional training and development opportunities to help employees improve their skills. Implement mentorship programs by pairing employees with experienced mentors who can offer guidance and support. Ensure that employees have access to the necessary resources and tools to perform their job effectively. By focusing on training, mentorship, and resource allocation, you can create a supportive environment that fosters growth and improves overall performance.

Support can take various forms such as training, mentoring, or coaching. Tailor support to address identified weaknesses or skill gaps. Offering resources and opportunities for skill development demonstrates commitment to helping the employee succeed.

Get suggestions from the employee first how he can plan to perform well and then understand and try or ensure providing support in increasing his performance levels and make the employee ready for increasing his performance levels.

Focus on the poor performance, not on personality or other distractions. Always maintain a constructive tone, along with a calm and professional demeanor. Seek cooperation, NOT confrontation. Remember that your goal is to improve the employee's performance, not to win an argument with the employee. Listen attentively to the issues they face, ask questions and then work with them to provide the support and knowledge to help them succeed.

Monitoring employee performance and all connected issues continues to remain a weak link in the performance management system. There are multiple reasons why this happens - one is that most people look at performance management as a one time activity & many line managers do it grudgingly since they see it as an unnecessary interruption on more important work. The other and equally important reason is that a lot of line managers see anything & everything to do with workforce management as the responsibility of HR. If organizations continue to do a mere post mortem of an employee's performance nothing will change. What is necessary is to set up mechanisms for regular monitoring of employee performance & find causes of poor performance

To be able to make sure that personnel are in agreement with corporate objectives and that performance management procedures are successful, it is imperative to monitor progress. Make sure that all of your team's and individual's objectives are SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This clarity facilitates efficient progress tracking. Set up KPIs that are in line with the goals of the entire company as well as the roles of the individuals. These measures will function as standards for gauging advancement.

- establish regular check-ins to discuss progress and provide feedback - create an open-door policy to encourage ongoing dialogue - recognize and reward improvements and achievements - involves the employee in meaningful projets to boost engagements

Taking a target time for reviewing the employee after necessary support extension, employee must be counselled again to make him understand his performance. Building confidence and providing support, monitoring is the solution for increased productivity of an employee.

Here is how you can address the performance issues of underperforming employees: 1.⁠ ⁠Have a Private Discussion with them: Schedule a private meeting with the employee to discuss their issue. Ensure the conversation is respectful and focuses on behaviours and outcomes 2.⁠ ⁠Develop an Improvement Plan: Collaborate with the employee to create a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) with clear, achievable goals. 3.⁠ ⁠Evaluate their Progress: Assess the employee’s performance at the end of the improvement period.

Here you go 1.Talk to them...! 2.Allow them to discover from failure. Stand with them at the time of failure. 3. Discuss with them when failure happen. Allow them to speak when success happen. Set your team goal according...

Adapting our performance management strategy to individual situations and changing organizational needs guarantees equity, efficacy, and responsiveness. Customize improvement programs to the unique requirements, areas of strength, and shortcomings of each person. Provide a range of assistance, including training, work schedule modifications, and mentorship, to accommodate each person's unique needs. Request employee input on the efficiency of performance management procedures on a regular basis.

- offer support through employee assistance programs - show empathy and provide flexibility where possible - clarify job roles and responsibilities - promote a positive and collaborative work culture - address any team dynamics or conflicts that might be affecting performance

If the performance is still underrated, employee must be counselled and make him understand the consequences and effect on the work due to him and provide him final chance for increasing his productivity.

Yes and no. There will be situations where you do have to treat some employees differently, such as where there is a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. That might, for example, include allowing a longer review period than would usually be the case.

Fairness and trust are fundamental in inculcating a culture built on mutual respect, which is built through creating an environment that supports effective communication where people are made to feel visible and important in the eyes of management. Values of the organization based on transparency, ethics and caring for both internal and external stakeholders should help in influencing a culture that values fairness and transparency in managing performance in a progressive manner.

Upholding fairness while addressing performance issues is essential to ensure employees feel respected and valued, and to maintain trust within the organization. We need to apply performance management policies consistently across all employees and use the same criteria for evaluating performance for everyone in similar roles. Be transparent about performance expectations, processes, and consequences and maintain open lines of communication, allowing employees to express their concerns and perspectives.

To address performance issues fairly and support underperforming employees, set clear expectations and provide regular feedback. Identify root causes through assessments and one-on-one meetings, offering training and mentorship as needed. Create a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) with specific goals and timelines, and conduct regular progress check-ins. Foster a positive environment, encourage open communication, and recognize improvements. Use objective evaluations, maintain documentation, and address persistent issues with candid discussions or role reassignment. Ensure all actions are fair, non-discriminatory, legally compliant, and maintain confidentiality to protect privacy.

There should be fair evaluation of employee performance that means assessing each person's work fairly & consistently. It's about setting clear goals, measuring how well they meat those goals based on their actual performance and giving them feedback that helps them improve. This process should be transparent so everyone understands how they're being evaluated.

One of the mistakes I made in the past was focusing too much on underperformers, investing a lot of time in their growth, education, and coaching. As a result, I neglected to challenge and support my top performers adequately. This oversight left them feeling unmotivated and unable to see my value as a manager. Now, I am still grappling with the question of how to balance my time between helping underperformers improve and collaborating with top performers to seize business opportunities.

Here are some ways to address performance issues and underperforming employees with fairness and support: Focus on Positive Reinforcement: Recognise Improvements: Acknowledge and reward any improvements, no matter how small. Encourage Positive Behaviour: Reinforce positive behaviors to motivate the employee. Encourage Self-Reflection and Ownership: Self-Assessment: Encourage the employee to reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement. Empowerment: Involve the employee in creating their improvement plan. Culture of Feedback: Promote regular, constructive feedback. Supportive Environment: Create a supportive and valued environment to proactively address performance issues.

Addressing performance issues fairly involves clear communication, active listening, and setting specific goals. Offer support through training and resources, and regularly monitor progress. Be consistent in applying standards and document all interactions. If there's no improvement, consider other roles or, as a last resort, disciplinary action while maintaining respect and dignity. Addressing performance issues and underperforming employees with fairness and support involves a balanced approach: 1. Communicate Clearly 2. Listen Actively 3. Set Clear Expectations 4. Provide Support 5. Monitor Progress 6. Be Consistent 7. Document Everything 8. Consider Alternatives 9. Follow Through

Instead of using a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), which can be demotivating, consider a more supportive approach. Set up a mentor for the employee. A mentor can provide guidance, share experiences, and offer the encouragement needed to help them get back on track. Increase the frequency of check-ins to monitor progress closely. Regular, constructive feedback ensures that the employee feels supported and understands the steps needed to improve. We must recognize that life happens, even to the best employees. Everyone deserves a second chance to regain their dignity and prove their capabilities. This way, addressing performance issues becomes a process of support and clarity, rather than one of fear and demotivation.

Maintaining a productive and enjoyable work environment requires treating underperforming employees fairly and providing support when it comes to performance difficulties. Here are several tactics to tackle this with efficacy: 1. To identify problems early, use performance measurements and frequent check-ins. Maintain thorough documentation of performance problems so you can give specific instances. 2. To preserve the employee's dignity, have a private conversation about performance difficulties. Give precise, unambiguous examples of poor performance together with the effects it has on the group or business.