Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
The Weakest Link
Even when it appears that one individual's poor performance is hurting the overall project, the obvious solution might not be the most effective, or even right. Instead, follow these five steps to help get a struggling team member (and your project) back on track.
You have a problem. Despite your best efforts to communicate with your team, giving clear and precise information regarding your expectations, one team member’s performance is hurting your project. Deadlines are being missed, quality is poor, and morale is slipping. How can you determine what is wrong, and what steps can you take to correct it?
When you are dealing with a team member who is struggling, avoid jumping to the conclusion that the team member is at fault. People do not generally come to work expecting to fail. Assume that people want to do their job to the best of their abilities.
The first step in addressing a performance issue is to identify the observed behavior or action. This will allow you to compare your observations with the expectations and determine the specific gap.
Next, you should look at the situation (environment) in which the team member is doing their work. The expectations for the role should have been clearly specified and reviewed with your team member, to ensure that there is a common understanding. Is there a clear ‘signal’ to perform? (How does the team member know that …
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"I might repeat to myself, slowly and soothingly, a list of quotations from beautiful minds profound; if I can remember any of the damn things." - Dorothy Parker |