Andrey GrubinPMP, PMI-ACPBrooklyn, Ny, United States
Firing someone is one of the most difficult things many managers ever have to do in their careers. But what about when the person isn’t doing anything wrong exactly, but she’s just not the employee you had hoped for? Saving Changes...
Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
Mar 16, 2018 9:49 AM
Replying to Meade Rubenstein
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A lot of times its expectation setting - do the two of you have the same base/understanding of what the role is/was? Have you had conversations regarding what aspects are not being met? Is there another position better suited for the person? There are MANY factors in finding the right person for the right position and most often you won't know until the person begins working for you and interacting with the rest of the team and clients. Maybe it's an adjustment to focus on their strengths and move their 'weakness' to another team member. The last thing you want to do is have one person bring down the entire team........
This would be my approach as well. The person may not have the complete skill or capacity to handle the work they have been assigned but are not willing to tell you do. Making a shift in tasks may result in better results from all involved.
However, make sure the shift does not overly burden other team members. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Assess the root cause of the person's lack of performance. If it is something you can fix, such as the need for an alternative schedule, lack of training or lack of resources, then odds are you'll choose to do it. If you determine the problem is the person herself, you should have few qualms about letting her go.
A few years ago I had to let go of someone who just didn't perform up to snuff. She was pleasant enough, but she was also a hindrance to the entire team, and everyone's work was negatively impacted. Earlier in my career I worked for a manager who was reluctant to get rid of a problem person who caused everyone problems, and I felt this manager's failure to act was a betrayal of all the other people on the team. That experience taught me that my first responsibility is to protect my team, and not to make good people suffer just because I don't want to hurt someone's feelings or be the 'bad guy'. It is a person's responsibilty to be good enough to do their job - it's not my responsibility to make them feel good about their mediocity. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
We don't know how long this person has been working with you.I found out a lot of times from my experience the job advertised and interviewed for is not what the person meets on ground.If that is the case,It might take some learning curve and given the right training and attitude the employee would get adjusted in a few months. But if its the case of someone that has been there for a while been given ample time and opportunities to improve and other team members are negatively affected by his/her work then you might have to go that route. Saving Changes...
Arash Bayazian SarkandiCEO| Eizat Alhayat project management ServicesDubai, United Arab Emirates
you should not hire someone who is not good enough for the job, if you hired you should train them, as it is the most costly game you can play Saving Changes...
Whenever one uses an average, one must recognize that there will be people near the norm (mean) as well as outliers. When it comes to estimating work, it should be done by the person for whom the task is planned.
Otherwise, it may depend on company policy as to how to proceed with the underperformer. Considerations include the person's past work, whether the person is new or newly assigned, recent events in the company or personal life, and more. Counseling is a good technique to try to identify any external influences on the (under) performance. It's interesting that (generally) no one is interested in examining those who "over" achieve, although such info could be useful in helping to understand the "under" achievers. Saving Changes...
KAGISO RHULANIPM Specialist| moche media projects (pty) ltdHammanskraal, Gauteng, South Africa
Oct 17, 2017 1:29 PM
Replying to Craig Dalrymple
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I attempt to manage challenges like this from the perspective that I may not have provided everything this person needs to succeed. That means asking questions that validate they have the right tools for the job, the training to use the tools well, an affinity for that work, etc.
The course of a conversation from this perspective (Do you have all the resources and support you need?) either leads me to an understanding of what I've not been providing all along, or identifies that all the resources are there and the employee either does not enjoy the work, cannot thrive in that space, or has an unrelated conflict in their life that's impacting performance. In those cases that can encourage a healthy discussion about if the job is the right fit or not, and set about a change plan to address it.
yes. sometimes most employee performance is either compromised by an external situation, something that might not be entirely connect to work Saving Changes...
