How To Improve An Underperforming Team Member

Hi Vivek...

Good Insight on the perception of Under-performance. I do agree with you on this. We did have similar members in our team as well who were poorly rated in terms of performance. Tried to offer other assignments which were inline with their ability/skills and found that they were good in some and not in others. This allowed us to assign them to related tasks that meet their expertise / skill and found their performance improved drastically.
If it were not to provide optional assignments, they would have been considered unfit for purpose and fired.

Posted: Dec 22, 2014 2:29 AM

Vivek, Some very good insights. Your tips about when to use planning type vs. action-oriented resources are valid and serve as a reminder when evaluating performance to look beyond the current assignment. Poor performance may be a task mismatch or an environmental challenge.

Posted: Dec 23, 2014 12:12 PM

I've had the experience of being a PM with "underperforming" team members and I've had the experience of being that underperforming team member.

In both cases, I have to admit that the approach you suggest is perfect. Whether I was on a construction job site as a lead carpenter (my old career), or a PM for a software implementation (my newer career), providing mentor ship has always yielded results.

In one case, I had to teach someone how to read a tape measure. He was embarrassed by his lack of knowledge, and kept getting things wrong, because he couldn't admit in from of the crew that he didn't understand the fractions. It wasn't until I had a private talk with him, that I found out. I taught him how to read his tape, and taught him how to test a corner for square using his tape measure. He was grateful and always worked hard when assigned to my team. This allowed me to keep teaching him useful skills.

In IT, I've had similar experiences, with asking people what they think might be causing a delay. I take their answer/s seriously, and inquire with them as to what might be a solution. Consistently, I see people rise to the occasion and perform in an arena where they didn't perform only a few days ago. People want to be successful, and if I engage with them as a partner in their search for success, they always appreciate it.

In terms of being the underperforming member, it has usually been because I didn't see a path between my assignment and project success, or even my own success. Often I felt that my assignment was in conflict with doing a good job on fulfilling my operational responsibilities. In either case, when a manager or PM took the time to hear my concerns and address them I found myself producing results. If however, I was told that I didn't need to worry about how my assignment would lead to success, that someone else had already considered that, I would take the queue and do my work, but always begrudgingly, and with a concern that I was going to be asked to come in over the weekend to makeup for the fact that my work didn't align with what was needed for project success.

My experience is that team members want to understand the project, and how their work fits into it. They want to be successful and see the project succeed. It is our job as PMs to facilitate their success.

Posted: Dec 23, 2014 12:34 PM

Hi Bindu, Patti & Michael,

Thanks for sharing your experience. Your experiences are testimony of empathetic thinking and providing mentorship.

And Michael, what a line your have written “I engage with them as a partner in their search for success”. You have just summarized the complete blog in one line. Please allow me to use this line in my future blogs.


Posted: Dec 24, 2014 1:51 AM

Great insights Vivek. Too many managers (bosses) believe under-performance is a factor of attitude. While that is certainly one variable, the true leader has a lot of impact on the attitude. When a leader understands what motivates the individual, he or she can take the appropriate actions. Thanks for your well written article.

Posted: Dec 26, 2014 11:49 AM

Hi Vivek,

Thanks for sharing this. Now I understand how to work with the underperforming team members to benefit the project as well as them. But, I have a question here...Could you please guide me how to handle the underperforming team members who are not ready to take your helping hands to improve and perform well due to ego, age or something like that. I experienced that team members do not accept help or guidance of a PM when he/she is promoted to a manager position/role from a team member role and they are not. I am into project management for last 2 years and I do face similar challenges often.

Posted: Dec 29, 2014 4:57 AM

Hi Vivek, thanks for your comments...please feel free to use that quote!

Arpita, your situation is rather typical of promotions from within the team. People, who previously related to you as a peer are now accountable to you. Maybe they don't feel that you deserved a promotion over them, or they feel threatened, because you used to be a co-worker, but now you are managing. It is hard to say, but the important thing is to try and find out what is causing them to thwart your attempts at improving performance.

I would suggest simply asking them if they feel you have done something that warrants a lack of respect or resentment? Listen carefully to what they say, and don't simply accept what they say, but think about it and try to figure out what is motivating their upset. This will require excellent communication and careful listening. It will require an attempt to get into their world and understand how the world is occurring from their perspective.

According to "The Three Laws of Performance," someone's behavior is ALWAYS logical and understandable, when you are able to understand how the world is occurring from their perspective. As leaders, it is our job to understand their perspective and create an alternate way for the world to occur. This might mean making an apology, when we don't think one is owed. It might mean asking for input, when we think we already have the right answer.

Here is a link to a two part article I wrote about humility in project management, it might give some insights into what I'm trying to explain here:
Part 1:http://www.projectmanagement.com/blog/PM-Interface/11268/

Part 2:http://www.projectmanagement.com/blog/PM-Interface/11316/

Posted: Dec 29, 2014 12:02 PM

Thanks Michael. You got my point and explained me very well what should I do to handle these situations. As you mentioned "understand how the world is occurring from their perspective.", I understand that my perspective changed when I become a Manager from a team member. So I need to understand their perspective too. Maybe I need their indirect/invisible helping hand to improve my management and leadership skill. I will definitely follow your guidelines and try to benefit ALL, the project, my leadership skills and the under-performing team member. Thanks again for your guidance.

Posted: Dec 30, 2014 3:10 AM

Arpita, thanks for a really great question! Please let us know how this goes for you. I'd love to hear a followup.

Posted: Dec 30, 2014 12:45 PM

Hi Arpita,
Thanks for your question. Let me first appreciate your question, your boldness and willingness to correct the course. I say boldness because only few people can ask such questions in public forum.

Michael has already provided a perspective which in very important. Let me add another one.

First of all we should understand that everyone has ego. We should accept it and avoid hitting it. When we extend help, it should not be highlighted. Left hand should not know when right hand extends help. This is help otherwise it is a favor. Due to ego, people want to do thing their own and demonstrate that they are capable even if they are not. If we highlight their gaps, make them realize that they need help and then offer help, we get resistance. When we identify gaps, we should just go and fill it silently, you will be surprised with their acceptance. We don’t do so, because we think, if we do not highlight, they will not learn. In response we get resistance to help and learning both. When we silently fill the gap, they appreciate and they try their best for not giving you another opportunity in future.

Let me take an example. Rita who goofed up with some reports is entering into her manager’s room. Tense Rita was preparing herself how to defend. Monika (the manager) started “You know, customer was very annoyed and asked me to give an update. We need to revisit the reports.” Rita: “Oh!! Really. What is the matter? (Though she knows)” Monika: “I think it was my fault, I could not explain you properly. Let me explain it again and show you on my computer what exactly to be done.” … … Rita felt relaxed as Monica explained her mistake… … Monica continued “Have you got it? Will you be able to correct these reports? Let me know if you find anything confusing. I am sure you can do it.”

Let me come to the point when a team member is promoted. This is a very common problem. Normally only one person get promoted in the team and become manager of others. In such circumstances ego becomes severe. They want to demonstrate that they were equally capable but not got promoted. So we have to be extra careful. What happens, as soon as we become manager we start behaving like a manager while a day before we were peer. When we get resistance, we reciprocate it and make the whole situation even more tense and uncomfortable for everyone. It creates a downward spiral and continues until someone correct it. As a manager we should own this responsibility.

We normally have two types of power at any position. The power of position and the power of expertise. As soon as we assume manager position, we get power to punish, reward and asking to do what we want. Power of expertise we always have. It has two flavours - Expert and Referent. We gain expert power when we master a skill. Referent is something we demonstrate by our behavior being trustworthy, helpful, believable and…. An ultimate example of referent power is Mahatama Gandhi.

Question is which power we should use? Simple answer is all but consider this. Every time you use position power you make a debit to your credibility and when you use expert or referent power, you make a credit to you credibility.

When you use less and less position power and more and more expert and referent power, you will see things changing around you.

I hope I have answered your question and you will not mind the length of this answer.


Posted: Dec 31, 2014 4:47 AM

Vivek, that was an excellent comment, and I really appreciated reading it! Thank you. I look forward to hearing how it goes Arpita. Please keep us posted.

Posted: Dec 31, 2014 2:20 PM

Thanks Vivek. Your and Michael''''s explanations have not only answered my question very well, it also made me learn some important points about team management. I will definitely implement the learnt lessons in my work and behavior and share the results with you.

Also, I would like to thank both of you for motivating me to ask more questions and share the real time challenges.

Thanks again for your guidance.

WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Posted: Jan 1, 2015 12:33 AM

Thanks Michael & Thanks Arpita, I too look forward to hear your experience.

Wish all people reading this blog, a very happy new year.

Posted: Jan 1, 2015 8:41 AM

Opt picture, symbolize the article at first look

Posted: Jan 18, 2015 2:21 AM

Nice

Posted: Jan 20, 2015 7:36 PM