Stop Rescuing Underperformers: How to Ma...

Underperformers don't change because you ask them nicely. They only change when they can no longer avoid the consequences of not delivering.

Every time you swoop in and rescue someone, you’re filling that performance gap on their behalf. At the same time, you’re reinforcing the fact that they never have to meet an acceptable standard, if they don’t want to. 

You might think you're just delivering the outcome: but you’re also unintentionally condoning unacceptable performance.

As the leader, you’re responsible for the culture… and that’s a cancer in your culture. 

Every minute you spend doing someone else’s job is a minute you’re not doing your own. While your team is rewarded with extra work, they see you rewarding the poor performer with more of your time and attention.

In this Q&A episode we cover:

• Why rescuing an underperforming peer is a disaster waiting to happen: if it works they take the credit, and if it fails you’re the scapegoat;
• The soft escalation technique that puts your boss in the picture without starting a political war you can't win
• An influencing technique that brings pressure to bear on a stubborn peer, without going over their head
• Why your people can predict exactly what you'll tolerate, and how that sets the performance bar
• The reason why nobody warns you when things are going wrong, and what you can learn from big corporate failures, like Theranos, that suppress bad news
• Why an empty house is better than a bad tenant: the case for exiting your worst performer, even in a tight labour market
• How to farewell someone with dignity, while still taking the opportunity for the rest of the team to learn from the cautionary tale.

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Podcast

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Your boss wants more with less. Your team wants less, full stop. You're stuck in the middle.

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