What can leaders do when staff are not meeting role expectations?
When staff members are not meeting expectations, leaders have a crucial role to play in addressing the situation constructively and effectively. Leaders should:
- Have an informal discussion: Discuss the issue with the employee, ideally as part of a regular one-on-one meeting. Focus on understanding the root cause (which may include personal issues that staff may be experiencing) that may be preventing the employee from meeting role expectations. Then clarify expectations, provide constructive feedback, and develop an action plan to support the employee in meeting the role expectations.
- Provide specific and objective feedback. Use the following framework:
- Describe: State what you observed. “I noticed...”, “I saw ….”
- Encourage: Prompt self-reflection “What’s your view?”, “How do you feel about this?”
- Outline: Explain the outcomes of the issue at hand “The impact of this was/is…”, “This meant that…”
- Develop: Encourage further self-reflection on alternative actions/solutions “What’s your view?”, “What could you have done differently”
- Reinforce: Ask what they have learned in retrospect “What did you learn from that?”
- Agree: Develop a joint plan for improvement and support “How do you think we should move forwards?”, “How do you want to be supported?”
- Identify specific actions and timelines: Outline concrete steps and deadlines to help them meet role expectations. This may include:
- Providing access to relevant training.
- Offering close guidance and support.
- Ensuring they have necessary tools and resources.
- Considering workload adjustments if the employee is overwhelmed.
- Summarize next steps in writing: Follow up the meeting with an email outlining the performance expectations discussed, agreed-upon actions, supports and timelines. The aim of this communication is to ensure clarity on expectations, next steps and responsibilities. It should not contain any information not discussed at the meeting.
- Monitor progress and provide ongoing feedback: Regularly check in on the employee’s progress, offer feedback, and acknowledge improvements made.