The performance of the team members could directly affect the efficiency of the whole project team and finally affect the final results of the project. Underperforming team members could undermine the performance of the whole project team. There might be different issues which could cause the team members to underperform. As a team manager, what should you do to identify what causes the team members to underperform? How would you handle underperforming team members?
There are many different circumstances that can cause a team member to underperform. As a project manager, I think it is essential to ensure that regardless of those circumstances, the project comes to completion by the deadline. In order to identify what causes members to underperform, it's crucial to encourage communication and hold meetings throughout the course of the project where the team ensures key checkpoints have been accomplished. If someone is underperforming, the project manager should have a conversation with the team member outside of the team setting to identify issues and concerns. If the team member is not able to perform, it is the responsibility of the project manager to either motivate the team member to completion, assign the remainder of the member's duties to other members, or complete the duties themselves.
Have a conversation with the team member to address their performance. Ask them if they need support in some areas. What is holding them back? I find it's better to be supportive rather than aggressive. Even if someone shows that they're not willing to participate or just being plain lazy, ask them if there is something we can do to help. If we put the responsibility on them how to better achieve a higher performance, then I think it can help to ensure that team member is more engaged throughout the project lifetime.
It is important to understand how you would define underperforming. Is the team member failing to meet deadlines? Are they continuously making mistakes? Are they showing up late often?
As a team leader or manager, it is necessary to clearly define the performance requirements for your employees. They should know whats expected of them and should receive feedback if they are not meeting expectations. A good team leader should also be able to identify why they are not meeting requirements. Are the requirements too strict? Does the team member have too much workload? A good manager should help their team member succeed.
In the case of a potential under performing member, the project manager needs to address the person under performing.
They first need to identify where are they under performing, if its a time management issue or lack of communication etc. The role of the project manager is to ensure this person know their roles, assess how they could change these “habits”, and ensure they are meeting the deadline. It takes a team to make a project work, hence the big key here being open communication.
I believe the best way to handle underperforming team members is to have good communication with them through each step of the project. It is important as team manager to be aware of what stage each member is at in the project, what steps they are having difficulties with, and whether they will need more time. This constant communication allows you to identify who is underperforming and for what reason. Once you understand why the member is struggling you can meet with them to decide how to help them overcome problem. You can either discuss a possible solution with them or have another more experience team member assist them.
As the project manager, I would meet with the underperforming team member(s) privately to find out if something is going on with them ... are they having problems at home, have they otherwise gotten bad news that they don't know how to handle, or is their project assignment something outside of their wheelhouse or are they otherwise having a hard time getting started? Once we've determined the cause of the problem, I'd work with them to get the support that they need to move forward.
If it means that they need to step away from the project, I would get caught up on what their proposed next steps on the project were so that I could temporarily or permanently reassign the work for the successful completion of the project.
I would also circle back periodically to check in on them to make sure they were doing okay.
@jal58 You make a great point about determining what exactly underperforming entails. I think it is safe to say communication and redirecting is a feasible course of action. It is easy to lose steam throughout the duration of a project. A good project manager is able to realign there team members and get them back on course without harsh reprimand.
During a project's life cycle, various phases can impact the team's progress. If a team is underperforming, some evaluation needs to take place. A group meeting should be held immediately to find the root cause of why the team is not performing as they should. Are there obstacles impeding the team's performance, or is this project not suitable for their skills and training?
@jbarbee There are numerous methods for dealing with an underperforming team member, and I agree that many different circumstances can cause performance issues.
One of the first steps would be to define what would constitute underperforming for the project. Three of the most common examples of diminished performance are decreased productivity, diminished quality of work, and declined morale. Once the underperformance issue has been identified, the next step would be to look for the underlying reasons a team member may underperform. Some potential causes are insufficient understanding of tasks or expectations, a high-pressure work environment, inadequate training, lack of skills training, or personal issues. There are ten recommended steps to assist a project leader in addressing the underperformance of a team member (Boatman, 2021).
- Recognize the existence of a problem.
- Schedule a one-on-one meeting and attempt to get to the root of why a team member is underperforming.
- Ensure team member is aware of and understands the expectations of the project and precisely what needs improvement.
- Work to determine the team member’s expectations and discover if anything can support those expectations. However, be prepared for a situation where the expectations of the team member may not be possible for the team leader to facilitate
- Work with the team member to develop an action plan together.
- The project leader should regularly check on the team member’s progress and establish follow-up meetings if necessary.
- The project leader should be sure to recognize the progress and accomplishments of the team member if they occur.
- The project leader is encouraged to practice performance coaching, which assists team members in gaining or enhancing needed skills through on-the-job learning.
- Next step is to provide constructive feedback to foster team members to improve their performance.
- The project leader should appropriately document the steps taken to enhance the team member’s performance (Boatman, 2021).
Once all of the above steps have been taken, it is incumbent upon the project leader to determine if the team member has shown significant enough improvement to serve as a functioning and productive team member. However, if a team member refuses assistance or if their performance does not rise to the needed level of competence, it may be necessary to reassign or even terminate that team member (Boatman, 2021).
Can you share a situation where you worked on a project with an underperforming team member? How did the team leader handle the situation? Did the team member improve? Was the team member removed? Or was the team member allowed to underperform while others were forced to handle tasks that the team member refused to perform?
References
Boatman, A. (2021, August 25). 12 actionable tips for managing underperforming employees - aihr. AIHR. https://www.aihr.com/blog/managing-underperforming-employees/#author
If a team member is underperforming, it is the team leader's responsibility to sit down and talk to the individual and figure out the problem. One team member's performance can delay the project and cause the project not to be finished by the deadline. After the meeting with the individual, the team leader should decide if the individual is capable of completing the project the project lead should bring someone else in, or complete that task themselves. A situation like this can impact the whole team. Everyone has a job and the same goal at the end of the project, so for someone to be underperforming they are not on the same page as the team.
@jbarbee I agree with your discussion. The project leader should have a conversation with the team member and figure out if they are capable of completing the project. If not, the team leader should assign the task to another member or complete the task.
@reginabarias In the case of a team member underperforming, it is the project manager's responsibility to have a conversation with the team member and ensure them of their tasks and duties. If the team member is still underperforming, the project manager has to make the decision to either complete that task themselves or reassign another team member to that task. This prevents delays.
As a project manager I would handle an underperforming team member by speaking with the team members and getting to the root of the problem. Asking them how I could help them achieve their specific goals effectively and efficiently. I would explain the expectations given and that everybody apart of the team has to pull their own weight to make the project run smoothly. I would also try to give incentives if needed to garner attention and possibly raise morale.
As a Project Manager, the key to helping underperforming employees is to act as soon as you start noticing signs of underperformance. Upon noticing changes in their work behavior, you should schedule time for a one-on-one meeting. During this time their current workload should be accessed and address the areas of their job where they are underperforming. This helps the employee to understand their current position while also demonstrating that you care about their success. It is important to remind your employee of your expectations for them and constructively point out where they could improve. By establishing the cause of their underperformance, you can create a plan to help them succeed in the future.