When you notice your colleague is consistently not on their game, you might find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. You don’t want to come off as offensive if you point out their errors or offer unsolicited advice, and you likely don’t want to feel like you’re going behind their back to report them to your boss either.
However, staying silent about the issue can be just as troubling, for both you and your company. This is especially true if your coworker’s poor performance is impacting your own workload. To help you better address the situation, the experts over at Forbes Coaches Council shared a few tactful ways to handle and help underperforming colleagues.
1. Use The SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) Feedback Model
Giving candid feedback doesn't have to be awkward or judgmental. Approach your colleague first by describing the situation, then the behavior (as a video camera would record it, with no interpretation or judgment) and finally the impact that you're noticing. Then ask them if they were aware of the impact their behavior is having and let the conversation evolve from there. - Jenn Lofgren, Incito Executive & Leadership Development
2. Better Understand Where They're Coming From
Sometimes people who are low performers may be having some issues going on. Being curious is a great place to start. Get to know the person a bit, develop a relationship with them and provide support. Often once we begin asking questions, people start to open up and we learn what might be impeding their progress, whether it's personal issues or need more training. Then we know how to help them. - Monica Thakrar, MTI
3. Ask How You Can Help
A simple conversation starter showing genuine concern may be all that's needed to open dialogue about a colleague's underperformance. Such as, "I have noticed you have struggled with the last project. Is there something I can help you with?" or "How can I help you get on top of your project?" Often, bringing the human side to the issue is all that's needed to begin the corrective process. - Deborah Hightower, Deborah Hightower, Inc.
4. Follow Your Company's Best Cultural Practices
Every company and ecosystem has a way that they like to deal with problems and solve issues. Before you give feedback to anyone, study your company and the culture. You will find out how to provide advice directly to a person or to their boss that demonstrates you are trying to help the team. Many methods can work. What works best for your company? Follow those best practice preferences. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.
5. Ask Them For Their Perspective On The Situation
From my experience, the championship teams are the ones with the highest levels of trust and communication. Some of the best feedback I received was from a teammate. We all have our blind spots. To begin a conversation in a nonjudgmental way. Point out specific situations that you've noticed and asked your colleague for his or her perspective. Help them by allowing them to find a solution. - John J. Fenton, John J Fenton, Executive Coaching
6. Communicate With Compassion
We all respond to energy and intention whether we are aware of it or not. If you approach a colleague with genuine concern and a desire to truly support them to be better and produce higher quality results, chances are that the words you say to them are less important than how you say them. It's always best, to be honest, and direct, yet infusing that approach with compassion can go a long way! - Carolina Caro, Carolina Caro
7. Provide Immediate Feedback
Take a moment to provide candid and immediate feedback. Point out the most recent event where the underperformance was noticeable and ask your colleague, "Did you notice it too?" Recognize that we all make mistakes and offer to help out. Equip the feedback with enough data to substantiate the observation while providing enough support to help the colleague overcome the underperformance. - Lulu Curiel, Ivy Advisors
8. Treat It As If You Were Deeply Invested In Their Success
I call this the relationship dilemma. We stand at a crossroads not sure how to address the challenge often out of fear of damaging the relationship with a colleague. Ask yourself: If I were deeply invested in their success (like it was a family member or someone I cared for deeply), what would I do to help them be successful? Let the answer to this question be your guide. - Marvin Chambers, Built To Last Solutions, LLC (Marvin Chambers Coaching)
9. Ask If They Are Open To Feedback
Well-delivered feedback is a sign of care for the individual and the organization, and there is a time and place. I ask people if they are open to constructive input. If they want it, I schedule an appropriate time and place. It is important to create psychological safety by showing care for the person and delivering the message in a kind and clear manner. Offer examples that illuminate the issue. - Maureen Metcalf, Innovative Leadership Institute
10. Tailor Your Approach Based On Your Existing Relationship
Whether or not feedback will be received well highly depends on your connection with the individual. If you have a great relationship with them, a kind and candid conversation will go a long way. However, if you do not have this type of connection with the underperformer, another approach might be best. There are times where it is best to approach the team leader before you try to close a gap. - Erin Urban, UPPSolutions, LLC
11. Help Them Design A Plan To Tackle Their Obstacles
Colleagues may underperform for many reasons that can be hard to detect. Personal issues like health, family or finances may pinch off the energy that was once present. Professional issues such as wrong role, wrong boss or wrong organization can make it difficult to stay motivated. Take your colleague to lunch, talk it over and come back with a plan that suits you both. - Lillian Gregory, The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence
12. Ask For Your Manager's Advice
As errors mount and continue, they can start to impact you, the team, company, and customer. Approach your management asking for advice. It softens the "complaint." Something like: "I'm currently having difficulty doing X because of the [problem] with [person's] current output/work. How would you like me to handle it?" This sets the tone of a temporary issue that can be fixed. - Tyron Giuliani, Selling Made Social
13. Create A Space For Psychological Comfort
Imagine being confronted when under pressure. People will not open up until they feel safe. As professionals, it is good to look for nonverbal clues so to know when appropriate to discuss a concern about a colleague. Creating psychological comfort is important in conflict resolution. Until psychological comfort is achieved, telling a colleague about what they are doing wrong may backfire. - J. Ibeh Agbanyim, Focused Vision Consulting, LLC
14. Establish And Follow Team Protocols
Create team agreements around how the team is going to relate to one another that will include how to hold one another accountable on a team, when to escalate an issue to the boss, etc. Having this discussion in the open along with the agreed upon steps that can be taken will not only promote accountability, but it will also support transparency, commitment, and ownership by all on the team. - Sheeba Varghese, Sheeba Varghese
