Managing Underperformance.

When a Manager assumed that position in an Organisation, he found the team whose performance was lukewarm. In one instance, the team was highly performing, and in the next month, they failed to meet the performance targets. This went on for some time, and lots of questions were asked about the manager's capacity.

Yet the Manager was a high-performing person in their previous position, but now he is struggling to have their team perform. The Organisational Leadership had high hopes in him, but this was now waning.

As a Manager, one of the yardsticks is the effectiveness and efficiency through the performance of the team. It’s what shouts for everyone to not only see but hear. It’s even better if dashboards are used, showcasing how each team is performing. No Manager would like to be in such a position.

How will you handle this situation? Will you allow yourself to get stressed and even give in and move to the next challenge? One of my best managers, whom I look up to now, told me running away from a problem does not make you a Leader, but changing that situation is what makes you a Leader. Thanks, James Khaawa Busingye, you still inspire me to this date.

Underperformance is a situation in which an Organisation, a team or an individual does not optimally produce or achieve the required set targets, yet they have the potential to do so.

So, how best would you handle the situation?

1.    Accept The Situation.

The starting point of managing underperformance is accepting that you are actually underperforming. Once you are not in denial, then even others will genuinely support you to overcome the situation. It will make you appreciate the distance that will have been moved.

When you are vulnerable, that’s when growth takes root. It’s because, as human beings, we strive to be seen as doing good and not bad. This should prompt you to move on to changing the situation.

It helps you not to mask the situation but put it out there. That’s when you will be taken as an authentic person who values truth.

2.    Find Out The Underlying Factors Or Causes.

After accepting the situation, as a team, analyse the causes of the underperformance. Is it about the competence, complex project, management deficiencies, system errors, conflicts, competition amongst the members, etc?

This is best done with the rest of the team members who are going through the situation. Why? The team has the answers to all the problems that are affecting them. So, involving them will lead to getting the right underlying causes and hence the right or appropriate solutions to address them.

You can use various methods of getting the causes, like the work outcomes, survey monkeys, group or one-on-one meetings, performance feedback sessions, development plans of the members, performance appraisals and reports, observations, feedback from other team members or external stakeholders, etc. You will have to have a high regard for the confidentiality of the information received, and the information shared shouldn’t be used to victimise anyone. Doing so will lead to the members refusing to divulge information which is critical for the process of addressing underperformance.

3.    Develop A Plan Of Redressing The Situation.

After understanding the underlying factors or causes of the underperformance, the team, together with you, develops a plan of action to address them. This will lead to their buy-in as they will own the plan developed.

These action plans should be relevant to the underlying causes identified. Something which isn’t relevant in solving the underlying causes will be a waste of resources.

Set indicators of measurements which will show that there is progress in the achievement of the action. This is very vital as it acts as a motivating aspect for the members that they are getting closer to the accomplishment of the action plan.

Also, set the time frame in which the action is to be implemented. Not doing so might lead you not to realise the timeliness of the achievement. It also helps you to know whether you have time or not, such that you can either speed up the implementation process.

An action plan without any accountability person responsible for its implementation, then the plan will be for everyone and for no one. Someone needs to be leading the process who will ensure that the required resources are available.

4.    Loop In Your Manager On What You Are Doing.

For a Supervisor who likes to have high performance of a team, they should be ready to support their direct reports or Managers in their endeavours in addressing the performance challenges.

Your Supervisor is the person who should stand up for you in their meetings or engagements, especially when your underperformance issues are being discussed. He will be your ally by explaining what you are doing. In so doing, your supervisor will give you the required time to turn around the underperformance of the team.

Are you having challenges with performance management and wondering how best to handle it? Right, The Manager is at hand to walk with you the journey of management with distinction.