How to Support the Underperformance in a team?

Look for the underperformance and highlight those in the team discussion

Underperformance is when a staff member is performing their works below the recommended level as demanded.

Underperformance for a long time results in job losses and business impact. It reduces team motivation and causes attrition.

When we know the team is underperforming

a) When Goals and OKR are not meeting fully, as a whole team, and team is not able to meet our overall goal and OKRs either monthly or quarterly.

All team members should be able to feel for that. In a team when someone says that individuals are doing great but we are not able to meet the team goal, that is a not good signal.

b) Communication line has crumbled. In the team, several communication channels are not working properly. The team meetings, mail communication, other message channels are not operated for numerous projects, team discussions. As a result of that many issues, conflicts, project challenges remain undressed and they are spreading into major impediments.

c) Conflict and Silos among team members: Team members are arguing on many issues. Conflicts among team members are not diminishing. Silos or lobbying among team members growing in unsatisfactory performance as a whole team.

d) External challenges: The market pressure, technological changes causing many issues in the employment. There is a blame game within the team causing negative ambient at the team dynamics.

e) Leadership: From all levels, leadership can play a significant enabler to cause of underperformance. Leadership can engage, motivate the team, and surmount many internal challenges. If leaders are not earnestly seeking all the challenges and not helping the team to surmount those, team performance gets worse.

f) Competencies and Capabilities: Team capability and competencies play a crucial reason in poor performance. When a team is not adequate to deal with many technical or other challenges, there is fear and the blame game appears. Leadership and team members require to deliberately work on those capabilities gaps and resolve such challenges with aggressive action.

g) Team Ambiance: There is too much pressure on deliverables, the quality of the work is not encouraging for the team members, the motivation in the team environment is not advocated, there is a worry in the team environment, etc can lead to team members to underperform.

h) Not enough employee connect with Manager or feedback mechanism is missing: The lifeline of the team and the manager is building bond and people connection within team. When such activities reduced over all performance degrades.

i) Employee career progression is not encouraging: Everyone wants to present their best when they can identify a promising career ahead in the journey. They go beyond their defined boundary when they can associate with the big future. Once an organization or team leader not able to create such a journey path, the resultant effect could be manifested in the performance.

As a coach let us watch out for all these phenomena at the team level and work to build a high-performance team.