How to Develop a Plan for Improving the Performance of Underperforming Team Members

No manager likes to confront their team members about their poor performance. Some of your staff members can be upbeat, diligent, and delighted in assisting you in expanding your business. However, it’s also possible that some team members aren’t doing as well as your business had intended.

Conducting a performance review and putting a strategy in place is crucial to helping them get back on track, regardless of whether they’re having trouble completing duties in accordance with your operating requirements, collaborating effectively with team members, or arriving on time.

Making a plan for performance improvement is crucial because of this.

Your team members will have the best chance of improving their performance if you have a performance improvement plan that includes essential actions and expectations. Are you prepared to learn how to build a successful team and develop a plan for improving the performance of underperforming team members?

1. Have a private meeting first

Getting on the same page with the underperforming team member is the first step in developing a plan for performance improvement.

Choose a peaceful, private, and cozy location for your meeting, whether it’s in person, over the phone, or using video collaboration tools. To enable real-time discussion and feedback during remote meetings, think about utilizing collaboration solutions with capabilities like screen sharing. Tension can be reduced and you can both concentrate on what really matters by creating a cozy and safe space.

To make sure you choose a time when you can both concentrate on the chat without being distracted, find out when they are available before booking. After that, get some notes and questions ready, as well as any relevant performance information. Encourage the team member to follow suit by sending them a supportive email such as:

“Hi Shana,

I appreciate you agreeing to see me on Thursday.

To let you know that I’m getting some notes and questions ready for our meeting, I wanted to quickly send you an email.

Please know that your opinions and suggestions are equally valued and encouraged as I want to ensure that our meeting is productive! Please feel free to arrive with any queries, remarks, or any information you would like to contribute. 🙂

I’m excited to see you shortly.

Best regards, Rachel

2. Examine all of the information and facts

Developing a good performance improvement plan requires giving underperforming employees the opportunity to be candid with you about what’s preventing them from giving their best effort.

You can find out whether there was anything you overlooked in setting them up for success by asking straightforward questions like whether they have the appropriate training or the resources they need.

If the answer is no, you must take immediate action, but this does not always require making large financial investments. For example, team members can work and train for free using a variety of Google technologies.

Marlee and other AI-powered solutions can also offer online coaching and useful insights to assist build high-performing teams.

Regardless of the situation, make sure to:

Examine the performance statistics you currently have.

List the reasons you believe they are not performing up to par.

Find out why people believe they’re performing poorly and how you might help.

Provide them with the resources and instruction they require to be successful.

3. Develop your ability to listen actively

Use active listening techniques to maintain focus on the team member’s words and show that you are paying attention when you give them the floor.

Make sure to demonstrate your attention by making eye contact, nodding your head, and smiling when it comes naturally to you.

To prevent needless misunderstandings, it’s also critical to ask for clarification if anything doesn’t make sense.

Try posing queries such as these to get everyone on the same page:

“Do you mean _____ when you say _____?”

“Could you elaborate on your meaning of _____?”

“I want to confirm that I comprehend. Did you mean _____ when you said _____?

“I know you’re having trouble with _____, is that correct?”

“From what I understand, you’re _____ right now. Is that accurate?”

4. Examine the objectives of your business and employees

Reaching a consensus also entails fully comprehending one another’s objectives. The organization should be aware of the employee’s current stage and specific aspirations for career progression. This process can be streamlined by using HR workflow automation, which makes it simpler for businesses to monitor and assist employees’ growth. It is simpler to efficiently coordinate efforts and resources when both parties are clear about their objectives.

Conversely, if team members want to improve their performance, they also need to be aware of the company’s objectives.

Sharing your company’s mission, long-term vision, and short-term goals with underperforming staff members can help them see how improving their performance is critical to the overall success of the business.

For instance, consider the Atlassian Jira brand.

100% of the software giant’s employees say they feel inspired by the company’s mission, demonstrating how well it has matched its vision and values with its workforce.

To help employees comprehend how to accomplish organizational goals practically, it’s also critical to break down the company vision into smaller, more manageable chunks.

5. Keep track of everything

By employing an employee monitoring program such as Controlio to assess the progress of your underperforming employee and keeping records of all meetings, relevant performance data, goals, altered behavior, and, of course, your performance improvement plan, you may prevent an HR nightmare. You can make guides using your notes by using free templates or by adding graphic components. 

Conclusion

The goal of a performance improvement plan is to assist people become more successful and productive, not to punish them for their faults. You may jointly develop a performance improvement strategy that benefits your business and your team members by bringing everyone on the same page, engaging in active listening, and coming up with ideas for solutions.

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