Whether they have trouble finishing deadlines on time or are regularly disappointing clients, it's never easy to see employees struggle. However, instead of just standing by and watching your staff members have a difficult time, help them overcome their struggles and become more successful in their careers. If you take interest in your underperforming employees, they will thank you for it. Here are four ways to help struggling employees succeed:
1. Determine What's Causing the Struggle
The first thing you have to do is find out exactly why a team member is struggling at work. According to Tanveer Naseer, leadership coach and author of "Leadership Vertigo," there may have been changes in the staff member's environment that have affected his or her productivity.
"Perhaps there's been a change in the team's makeup that has altered the team's dynamics," Naseer said in his blog. "Or maybe this employee no longer feels challenged in their role or believes that their work matters less to your organization's shared goal. Whatever the case, the only way to know for sure is to take the time to talk with your employee and examine the situation in order to figure out what has changed and how you can help them get back on track."
2. Show Examples of Good Work
If you expect an employee to improve the quality of his or her work, you have to show the person examples of what good quality work looks like. For example, if your public relations assistant is struggling to write press releases the clients like, show him or her quality press releases that other employees have written. Once the staff member knows what you expect, he or she will be more likely to produce quality work.
3. Develop Performance Goals Together
During a one-on-one meeting, ask a struggling employee how he or she would like to improve. Then, help him or her create a plan to achieve those goals. For instance, if a staff member wants to improve his or her project management skills, have the person work with a fellow employee whose project management skills are up to par. According to Entrepreneur, doing this will motivate an underperforming employee to work harder and strive for greatness.
4. Recognize Improvement
If you see an employee putting in a lot of effort to improve his or her performance, you should let that person know you are proud of the progress. If the staff member knows that his or her improvements are recognized, it will increase the person's confidence and motivate him or her to keep working hard.
If you do everything you can to help a struggling employee and he or she still doesn't turn in quality work, it may be time to cut ties with the person. Letting an employee go is never easy, but it is sometimes the necessary thing to do for your business.