Have you ever avoided having a difficult conversation? I frequently coach leaders that struggle with holding people accountable because they’re avoiding conflict. Can you relate?

Here’s the deal – avoiding those tough conversations might give you momentary peace, but it won’t solve the real issues. The employee’s performance won’t “magically improve.” In fact, they may not even be aware that there’s a problem!

So here are some tips to help you the next time you need to address a performance issue.

Reframe Your Role

Let’s start with reframing how you think about performance problems. Your role as a leader is to help your employees grow. Although you might be frustrated with the poor performance, this is your opportunity to provide coaching and help your employee learn and grow. 

Gather the Facts

Before jumping into the conversation, ensure you’ve got all your facts straight. Collect data, review their performance metrics, and specific examples of where things have fallen short. This isn’t about being a detective; it’s about having concrete examples to guide your conversation.

Coach with Compassion

Find a quiet, private space where you won’t be interrupted. Take some deep breaths to calm yourself and manage your emotions. And remind yourself that your goal is to help this employee thrive in their role.

• Start the conversation with a bit of context. Instead of diving straight into, “You’re not meeting expectations,” begin with something like, “I’ve noticed that there have been some challenges in meeting our goals recently.” It sets a more open tone and gives them room to share their perspective.
  
• Be specific. Vague feedback won’t help anyone. Instead of saying, “You need to improve your performance,” say, “In the last two projects, we noticed that the deadlines were missed, and the quality wasn’t up to our usual standards.”
  
• Okay, now brace yourself for their response. This is where active listening comes into play. Let them share their side of the story without interruption. Maybe there are underlying issues you’re unaware of – personal challenges, lack of resources, who knows? Your goal is to understand their perspective before you start crafting solutions.
  
• Collaboratively discuss how they can improve. Ask them what kind of support they need and offer guidance on how they can tackle the challenges they’re facing. Make it a joint effort, not a lecture. Your employee is more likely to own the solution if they came up with it or had a voice in creating it.
  
• Set clear expectations moving forward. “Let’s work together on a plan to meet deadlines and improve quality” is way better than “You better fix this.”

Follow Up

Check in a week or two after the conversation to see how they’re doing. Celebrate what’s going well. Ask them what they’ve learned and where they need additional support.

Remember, these conversations aren’t about shaming or punishing. They’re about building a stronger, more skilled team. So, put on your manager cape and have that conversation. You’ve got this!

Wishing you the best!