How to Coach an Underperforming Employee Back to Target

Turning Underperformance Into Opportunity

All good leaders at some point have faced the challenge of working with an underperforming employee. When this happens, many leaders concentrate solely on correcting the issue instead of exploring how they can support the struggling employee. This includes criticizing the employee, applying pressure, or closely monitoring his activities in the hope that his performance will eventually improve.

The most successful leaders take a different perspective on employees who are struggling to meet expectations. Instead, they perceive such a situation as an opportunity for coaching and development. The reason behind poor employee performance is rarely a lack of effort. The causes can vary widely, including unrealistic expectations, skill gaps, low confidence, limited resources, or personal challenges.

By coaching an employee, leaders can help identify the exact causes of low performance and create a plan to bring him back to the target level.

Coaching is not only about correcting poor performance; it is also one of the most effective ways to increase employee engagement. According to Gallup, 80% of employees who receive meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged at work, demonstrating how regular coaching conversations can help employees feel supported, motivated, and committed to improving their performance.

Understanding Employee Underperformance

Leaders need to understand the causes of employee underperformance before trying to fix performance issues.

Underperformance is the condition in which an individual fails to deliver the desired results. This could be demonstrated by missed deadlines, declining productivity, shoddy products, reduced participation, or failure to meet key performance indicators.

It is important to note that a single mistake does not constitute underperformance. All individuals face challenges now and again; the issue starts when such a challenge persists for a long time.

Early identification of performance problems is crucial since minor problems never go away on their own. If left unresolved, these issues can negatively impact employee morale, productivity, customer satisfaction, and team relationships.

If identified in time, leaders will easily assist employees in improving in improving their performance levels.

Step 1: Identify the Root Cause Before Taking Action

The main pitfall for leaders is the belief that they already understand the reasons for poor performance among their employees.

By prematurely reaching conclusions, managers can undermine their credibility and end up trying to solve the wrong problem. Rather than reacting impulsively, leaders should look into the reasons behind an employee's poor performance.

There are several reasons for low performance:

• Not enough skills and training

• Unclear requirements

• Low self-confidence

• Reduced motivation

• Work-related stress

• Poor processes or resources

Reviewing various performance measures allows leaders to learn a lot at this point. Reviewing established goals, key performance indicators, productivity metrics, and recent results can help identify where performance gaps exist.

Of course, the same amount of information can be learned by talking with the employee. Here are some open-ended questions to ask:

• What makes your work hard right now?

• Do you feel you have all the necessary tools at hand?

• What obstacles prevent you from reaching your objectives?

Step 2: Conduct an Honest and Empathic Coaching Discussion

After pinpointing the root cause(s), the next step is to conduct a useful coaching discussion.

Many leaders shy away from tough conversations as they fear creating conflict. Avoiding the discussion will result in no progress whatsoever.

Be professional and empathic while conducting the discussion. Be specific about behavior and results rather than judging employees' personal qualities. Employees will take positive feedback much more seriously if it is objective and constructive.

For example, instead of telling someone that "You don't really care about your job," you can talk about facts, such as missing deadlines, poor sales figures, or quality issues.

It is crucial to listen to the employee throughout the discussion. Give them time to state their point of view and discuss the difficulties they are facing. Listening will foster trust and reveal vital information.

Your ultimate objective is to establish joint responsibility for the issue in question. The leader and the employee must agree that change is needed for the better, and both parties must work on it.

Step 3: Set Clear Expectations and Performance Goals

Performance problems usually result from unrealistic expectations.

An individual cannot accomplish something they do not fully comprehend. Good coaching involves setting very specific parameters around what is expected.

First, define clear and measurable performance goals. Instead of setting broad expectations such as "become more productive," set attainable targets that can be measured and evaluated.

Here are some examples:

• Speed up response times among customers during a set period

• Increase sales conversions by a certain percentage

• Meet all deadlines for upcoming projects

It may be helpful to break down bigger goals into smaller milestones to ease the process. This will allow you and the employee to mark successes in small steps.

This will also ensure clarity and accountability.

Step 4: Develop a Personalized Coaching Plan

Employees vary in nature, which implies that a coaching approach must be customized to individual needs.

A customized coaching strategy concentrates on the employee's personal skills, behaviors, and difficulties. It defines development objectives, learning opportunities, and activities that promote progress toward better results.

Thus, for instance, an employee with communication difficulties might need training or a mentor. An underperforming sales representative would benefit from coaching in areas such as prospecting, qualifying, and objection handling.

Splitting the improvement process into small stages allows making more progress. Large goals can feel overwhelming, but breaking them into smaller steps makes progress more achievable.

The leader must also make the necessary resources available to support employees' growth. Such tools could be related to training, coaching, mentoring, or streamlining processes that limit performance.

In short, a comprehensive plan promotes clarity and facilitates the achievement of desired results.

Step 5: Deliver Consistent Feedback and Ongoing Support

Coaching is not a process that can occur just once. To achieve long-term success, continuous support is necessary.

There is a tendency among many managers to hold a single performance discussion, which is often sufficient to yield immediate results. The truth is that improvement needs to occur gradually and continuously.

Checking in regularly allows for tracking employees' progress and making any changes that might be required regarding the coaching style. Feedback sessions must cover both successes and failures.

Providing constructive feedback plays a critical role here. Employees need to know what is going wrong, but they also deserve recognition for their efforts.

Employees feel more encouraged when they receive balanced feedback.

Another useful approach is to encourage employees to conduct a self-assessment of their performance. It increases employee responsibility and engagement.

Step 6: Build Confidence Through Small Wins

Confidence is a critical element of employee performance.

If an individual keeps experiencing failure, they might start doubting their own capabilities. Such a low level of self-confidence can turn into a vicious circle, in which poor performance leads to demotivation, which further worsens the situation.

The first thing to do to coach an employee properly is to give them the chance to win small.

Acknowledgment of achievements, however small, makes individuals more confident in their abilities and motivates them to try even harder.

Moreover, it is advisable to assign increasing amounts of responsibility as performance improves. Accomplishment of each challenge builds confidence and trust.

It is also worth encouraging a positive attitude towards work. Employees should accept failure as a way to learn.

Some Coaching Pitfalls That Leaders Must Be Aware Of

Even well-intentioned leaders can unknowingly obstruct development.

First off, some leaders tend to over-manage. Too much micromanagement can discourage employees from taking ownership and learning how to solve problems.

Second, focusing solely on weaknesses can be detrimental. It is important to identify strengths, but not discount weaknesses.

Failure to act promptly when performance is poor can lead to more severe consequences. The early intervention yields positive results.

Lastly, do not treat everyone the same. Every individual faces unique problems, and so does their approach to solving those problems.

Creating an Environment That Staves off Underperformance

Top-notch organizations don't just respond when there is underperformance within their ranks; they establish cultures where it doesn't happen in the first place.

A robust coaching culture facilitates continuous feedback, learning conversations, and training. People get coached early on so that problems never escalate.

An organization can facilitate employee performance enhancement through training, mentoring, career planning, and coaching for leaders. Clear communication and expectations are other methods.

If an organization makes coaching a leadership style, performance enhancement will be an inherent aspect of day-to-day operations.

Conclusion: Great Leaders Create Great People, Not Just Great Performance

Underperformance doesn't necessarily mean failure. On the contrary, underperformance usually implies the need for greater clarity, development, confidence, or support on the part of an employee.

The best leaders realize how vital coaching can be for raising employee performance. They are aware of the importance of understanding the root causes of underperformance, providing necessary clarity, setting expectations, developing individualized plans, and giving consistent feedback so that underperforming workers can get back on track.

Not only can performance coaching produce better outcomes, but it can also help establish trust, increase engagement, and positively impact the work environment. People who feel encouraged tend to take a proactive role in their professional improvement and development.

All in all, great leaders are not expected to discover the best talents around. They have to focus on developing the existing ones to ensure employees become good performers.

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