In every workplace, there are times when motivation wanes, productivity dips, and employees seem disengaged. It’s a common challenge faced by leaders across industries: the struggle to understand why even though no one wants to come to work and do a bad job, some employees do just that. Everyone wants to have success but why aren’t some trying? As leaders, it’s crucial to recognize that beneath the surface of underperformance lies a deeper root cause that must be addressed for lasting improvement to occur.
When an employee isn’t meeting their goals or expectations, it’s tempting to simply address the immediate issue at hand. However, this approach often fails to produce sustainable results. Instead, leaders must delve deeper to uncover the underlying reasons behind the underperformance.
One-on-one meetings provide an ideal opportunity to explore the root cause of an employee’s struggles. Here are some strategies for effectively uncovering and addressing these underlying issues:
1. Create a Safe and Supportive Environment: Begin by fostering an open and non-judgmental atmosphere where employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns. Assure them that your goal is to help them succeed, not to assign blame.
2. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage employees to reflect on their challenges and share their perspectives. Ask open-ended questions such as:
– “What do you feel is holding you back from reaching your goals?”
– “Can you walk me through your current process and identify any obstacles you encounter?”
– “How can I best support you in overcoming these challenges?”
3. Listen Actively: Practice active listening by giving your full attention to the employee’s responses. Pay attention not only to what they say but also to their body language and tone of voice, which can provide valuable insights into their mindset.
4. Identify Patterns and Themes: Look for common themes or recurring patterns in the employee’s feedback. Are there specific barriers or obstacles that multiple employees are facing? Identifying these patterns can help pinpoint systemic issues that need to be addressed.
5. Offer Support and Resources: Once the root cause has been identified, work collaboratively with the employee to develop a plan for addressing it. This may involve providing additional training, resources, or support, or adjusting expectations and goals as needed.
By taking the time to uncover the root cause of underperformance, leaders can lay the foundation for meaningful improvement and growth. Addressing surface-level issues may provide temporary relief, but it’s only by addressing the underlying reasons that lasting change can occur.
Consider the following examples:
– Example 1: Lack of Training: An employee consistently falls short of their performance targets. Through one-on-one discussions, it becomes evident that they haven’t received adequate training on a system or process introduced recently.
– Example 2: Work-Life Balance: Another employee’s productivity declines, and they seem increasingly stressed and fatigued. Further exploration reveals that they are struggling to balance their workload with personal responsibilities, leading to burnout.
– Example 3: Communication Challenges: A team fails to meet project deadlines, despite individual team members’ strong skills. Through open dialogue, it becomes apparent that poor communication and coordination among team members are hindering progress.
– Finally… Maybe it is You: An employee is underperforming and shuts down, only doing the bare minimum. As a leader, it’s important to be open to the idea that it may be you and the way you are dealing with this employee, which is causing the performance issue. You can’t treat everyone the same and maybe it’s time to adjust. It may not be your fault, but it is your problem to fix.
In each of these scenarios, addressing the root cause—whether it’s a lack of training, work-life balance issues, or communication challenges—can pave the way for improvement and success.
As leaders, it’s our responsibility to dig deeper, listen actively, and collaborate with employees to address the underlying reasons behind underperformance. By doing so, we can foster a culture of continuous improvement and support our teams in reaching their full potential.
A Workplace Playbook 
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