What To Say To Your Underperforming Employee 😕 (for the conflict averse manager)

[@Bre_Creatively]

You are always right on time! Literally need this right now for a couple team members! I also have my consult with you this week! It can’t come soon enough! So excited to work with you! And can I just say - I literally said today “I don’t understand - if they’d just slow down and take the info in they would be fine” thanks for the reminder to clarify.

[@makeda.andrews]

Ambrea!!! I AM SO EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU!!! I read your application on Friday and got SO.PUMPED! There was so much in what you said that I resonated with. BTW... one of our current NMA student's is an Amazon AWS Director so you are going to fit right in like a glove with her for sure. We understand the challenges in tech ;)

[@Bre_Creatively]

@@makeda.andrews WOW! I guess I literally HAVE to get in the accelerator now - what are the odds thre is a fellow Amazonian in your program! Looking forward to speaking with you tonight, Makeda! :)

[@makeda.andrews]

@@Bre_Creatively WELCOME TO NMA BTW! So excited to be working with you!

[@DancingDeity]

I’m a junior employee in a new industry after making a career pivot. I feel like I’m that underperformer because I’m not speedy with work like my team member (one level above me, one level below my supervisor). This team member is younger than me (2 yrs out of college) and I find her type A overachiever know-it-all persona annoying because it’s what I’m being compared against. I don’t hate her entirely because she trained me (although I hate when she trains me because she talks VERY fast and gives little context) but I feel like because I don’t treat every task like the Olympics (as she does) that I’m secretly being judged as less than.

[@lowdermilk89]

Just know that she doesn't have that experience yet that allows for self awareness of her own short comings. Just coach her to get better.

[@maquillajeatuestilo]

Wow the celebrate part! So true! I did apply that to a team member and now he does a good job all the time. Thanks!

[@makeda.andrews]

That is awesome! 👏🏾

[@marrrweee]

This was *extremely* helpful! Thank you so much! This is the number 1 thing I struggle with because I both hold myself and others to high standards while at the same time being very sensitive to the emotions of others - I hate to disappoint others or make them feel less than in any way. However, I realize this is selfish because I’m more concerned with myself being comfortable than elevating my team. However, I couldn’t find that balance. You described it perfectly - my favorite part was when you put things in perspective of how our manager might feel xyz is common sense - but for us, it's all totally new and confusing. one question I still have though is - how do we differentiate between simple lack of motivation vs actual skill related issues?

[@carrad123456]

Wrong hiring is painful

[@parapistear3248]

this video was very helpful for me. I am about to start a new job where the employees are unionized. This is the first time i work in this type of environment and i am kind of scary to be honest. Thanks

[@Ceej383]

Thank you, this was great! We are dealing with this with some of our team members we manage and this will be helpful for our Leadership team. I will share with our leadership team for our weekly Leadership Learning.

[@haiguo4528]

Great video, A+. However, I might want to make an additional remark, namely that managers might need to reflect on whether an employee is worth the conversation and training, especially when this person has been underperforming helplessly for so long. I had a situation in which we needed to deal with an underperformer who had been in the organization for 8 years. Everyone dislikes him for his unprofessional behaviors. But he kept his job. The previous leadership was so irresponsive and conflict averse. The new management team had had many discussions on how to train this person. The conclusion was that it is better to let him leaverather than to train him.

[@makeda.andrews]

Thanks so much! I 100% agree. Sometimes releasing the person is the best thing for everyone involved including the under performer. I have a video on this topic specifically here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZywgImFhqt4qs0

[@apielnadine1631]

Woow it was really useful to me since I'm pursuing Human Resources Management thanks I will love to have more of your videos

[@jpierresamra]

Thank you Makeda for this lovely and smart video, it is straight to the point with enough guidelines on how to address underperformance every time. I really like how you take specific scenarios from the real management challenges and propose practical solutions. A+

[@sealegs1272]

Excellent content! Thanks so much & keep it up! Your efforts will have ripple effects far beyond any number of “thumbs up”. 😊

[@sherryc2443]

I felt so impressed with your video and you hit all the right points that I needed to hear. Thank you so much

[@DonnaPalmer-r7t]

Thank you for this information I took notes and will certainly use this framework with my team

[@craigminchin941]

So practical and clear. Thanks Makeda!

[@managementsecrets]

Great video! Really like the What and Why questions!

[@Whynotthem65]

What I am not cool with is individuals that can glance at the theories behind leadership and management while focusing on their own spin that isn't so much a framework that was built from empirical research. But to be fair, I get what you are trying to do here. We have too many of these "gift for gab" individuals calling themselves leaders without understanding what this actually means.

[@NataliaAraujo-ge8wb]

You are amazing!

[@makeda.andrews]

Thank you Natalia for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@MrsSoulRaspberryMate]

Very well spoken!

[@DJ_Kitty815]

This was a great video. It also sounds super exhausting for me but I will try!

[@makeda.andrews]

You got this!

[@matthewklim2387]

there is always that added pressure to perform. after starting a new role bringing in years of experience, the pressure I feel is even greater as I have in my mind that experienced workers should not underperform. I don't want to give my new manager an excuse to fire me

[@sandymeadowlove]

Just subscribed. Excellent information.

[@makeda.andrews]

Thanks 🙏🏾

[@applesauce1680]

I had to laugh at the questions of what is making an underperformer underperform. The one question that is never asked is what is wrong with the policies and procedures implemented by management and followed by the employee. My policies and procedures are perfect but I have bad employees. Really?

[@melodybockelman4349]

Incredibly helpful

[@Myprincess-5789]

Thank you so much for this. Can you do a video on how to conduct a performance meeting? X

[@lindamcclease9290]

The whole thing thanks

[@KalltuniClassics]

Nice

[@makeda.andrews]

Sweet! Glad it was helpful

[@Spotlights20]

Thank you

[@tressas2921]

I think you should give some examples

[@disgruntledtoons]

W. Edwards Deming, who was the business management expert who taught the Japanese automakers the techniques that enabled them to steal the Big Three's lunch, stated that 85% of performance issues are caused by the system in which the "underperformer" works. Badgering that employee to perform at a higher level only breeds animosity, but fixing the system gets the desired result.

[@Sirie7206]

There’s an underperformer on our team but my boss doesn’t deal with it. She even gets frustrated with his underperformance but will not do anything about it.

[@johnrodgermugadhuwi2180]

The last point is kind of one sided, what if there is nothing to celebrate? Say, the employee continues to underperform!

[@makeda.andrews]

Thanks for your question. The framework is meant to be flexible to the circumstance and not necessarily to apply no matter what. So if an employee continues to underperform where do you think in the framework is appropriate to stop given the situation? Because there is a logical place that one would want to stop if celebration doesn't make sense to the situation.

[@zagan1]

The employee will simply leave or get fired but it's probably what they want anyway. It's a 2 way street the company can be ok but that's it simply ok so there's zero reason to push for anything even to keep a job in a company you don't like or stopped liking.. It's like the president example he does that so everyone knows that person is about to be fired and maybe other people will pick up. the age old sack 1 person and the ones desperate for the cash will pick up. She finds it funny but in the situation it's not funny and it kills moral and lets everyone know to start looking for jobs elsewhere, before that group gets wiped

[@alecwray88]

What about the type that know they can get away with doing bare minimum and so intentionally slack and go slow even going as far as bathroom breaks every 15 mins.