I have an underperforming manager. I know how to manage them out legally. But they are very popular in the workplace. How do I manage them out emotionally?
People usually lose respect for an underperformer, so how can it be that an underperforming manager (let’s call him or her Lee) not only retains the respect of those around, but remains very popular?
It sounds to me like Lee is unaware they are underperforming and those in Lee’s team are also oblivious to the under-performance of their manager.
If you manage someone like Lee, who is not performing, no matter what level they are, no matter how popular, there are five things you need to do:
Too many people complain about their staff but have never really clarified what the expectations are for the job, how this fits into the person’s overall career plan and how the goals fit into the team and organisational goals. For some positions – such as managers – the performance is often about the performance of their team, so this information should become public knowledge of the team… transparent and open.
Specific agreed work must be discussed so a person knows exactly what their key result areas are, so they can determine priorities and remain focused on results. For each key result area they must know what their KPIs are – and this must be agreed upfront, not suddenly out of the blue in a feedback session when a manager is disappointed in their performance. The manager must clearly specify exactly the qualitative and quantitative standards to be achieved, because without this their underperformance cannot fairly be assessed. In the case of Lee, it may be that the gap or ‘underperformance’ exists only in the mind of Lee’s disappointed manager because they have not done the essential up front work to ensure Lee reaches the agreed standards of performance.
If you have been thorough in the selection process, and have clear standards to achieve you keep on track through regular ongoing discussions, it should be a smooth process to give feedback along the way. This should include recognising strengths – the fact Lee is popular with the team is an excellent strength to be commended. Has Lee been commended for this? Has this strength been utilized in ways to benefit Lee, the team and the whole organisation?
If you have a person like Lee, who has weaker areas, these need to be identified and discussed, to work out when and why this is happening, and what can be done to ensure the problem is fixed. If you do not give feedback regularly and do not manage the performance of the people in your team, you risk the chance of losing the respect of others in your team, especially when a poor performer gets to keep on performing at a low level.
Create a targeted development plan for each individual in the team, to ensure they build their skills and can tackle new challenges (which should ideally be the case if they manage others). And for the poor performer, be very specific on what needs to be done and improved and by when, and agree also on how this will be monitored. It may be that a re-alignment to a different role is needed, which should become obvious to you and to them if you are both fully aware of the desired career plan, and the strengths and weaknesses of the individual. People should not be unhappy at work, and continually getting negative feedback will be very unsettling.
If feedback for underperformance is given it should be documented, along with the agreed development plan. Know the agreed number of warnings for your organisation, and legally, before you start a process of asking them to leave.
If all steps have been taken, and Lee is still not achieving, put Lee’s popularity aside, and focus on working with Lee to find the best outcome for his/her career and your business.
If a person is continually not performing, it will ultimately be a relief for all when they leave.
Eve Ash has produced many great resources available to help managers set up KRAs and KPIs with their people, and give good feedback and coaching.
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
