At some point, every manager faces the challenge of dealing with a team member’s underperformance. Performance struggles can stem from various sources, including a skill gap, lack of motivation, unclear expectations, and personal factors.
While many organizations offer guidelines for handling poor performance, real progress happens when you go beyond the checklist and focus on coaching -— guiding employees toward taking ownership of their performance. Coaching helps build accountability and sets the stage for team-wide improvement. Effective coaching requires trust, a logical path forward, and emotional grounding.
The Three Pillars of Coaching:
- Trust: Trust is the foundation. Employees need to trust you as a reliable leader, but just as importantly, they need to trust themselves and believe they are capable of change. Building this trust takes consistency and fostering confidence through small, achievable successes.
- Logic: For any improvement plan to succeed, the plans must be logical and make sense. Clear, reasonable goals help employees see the path forward and stay motivated.
- Emotion: Coaches must engage employees on an emotional level and seek to understand their personal drivers—what fuels their passion for success. By connecting their goals to their sense of purpose, you can better encourage them to give their best.
The Chatfield Global 7-Step Coaching Process:
- Engage: Show belief in the employee’s ability to improve and ask for their help in tackling the issue.
- Clarify: Define the performance problem together. Get specific, using effective questions to uncover the root of the issue.
- Identify Barriers: Listen actively to identify the challenges—whether it’s time, tools, training, or motivation—that stand in the way.
- Create an Action Plan: Collaborate on a clear, actionable plan. Ensure it’s a living document that reflects the employee’s input and outlines how you’ll both contribute to their success.
- Inspire: Paint a vivid picture of what success looks like. Help employees envision their potential and unlock their creativity.
- Follow-Up: Don’t let too much time pass between check-ins. Offer support and guidance to ensure progress is on track.
- Celebrate: Acknowledge wins, however small. Recognize achievements and reinforce positive behavior to keep momentum going.
Coaching isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing process built on empathy, patience, and consistent support. By maintaining open communication and a positive environment, you empower your team to manage performance issues and achieve their full potential.