When an employee is struggling, here’s what the best managers do.
Someone’s slipping. You see it. You feel it. You’re not on the same page. You desperately want to pull the person up, but you’re not sure exactly how. Do you encourage them? Switch them off the project? Change how you’re leading them?
You’re now facing one of the toughest tasks as a leader: managing underperforming employees. More specifically, how do you talk about underperformance during a one-on-one meeting? This is a challenge many South African managers face, particularly in environments where role expectations and performance standards are not consistently defined.
Look Inward Before Looking Outward
It’s tempting to look outward first, blaming the employee or extenuating circumstances: “They don’t pay attention to detail,” or “The client is being unreasonable.”
While those may be factors, leaders should also turn inward. Ask yourself: What am I doing that might be holding this employee back?
Managing an underperforming employee requires looking both inward and outward: What is the employee doing to limit their performance, and what are you doing as a leader that might be contributing?
Often, we act on hunches: “It’s their perfectionism” or “I didn’t give enough context.” Acting solely on assumptions leads to flawed plans. Coaching a struggling employee effectively begins with asking the right questions, not assuming answers.
Questions to Ask During a One-on-One
When sitting down with an underperforming employee, focus on questions that help you understand both perspectives. Here are 14 starter questions.
Ask These Questions to Look Inward
Try to discover: “How have I been letting this person down? How have I been getting in the way?”
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● Is it clear what needs to get done? How can I make the goals or expectations clearer? ● Is the level of quality required clear? What examples or details can I provide to clarify expectations? ● Am I being respectful of the time you have to accomplish something? Can I protect your time better? ● Do you feel you’re being set up to fail? Are my expectations realistic? What should I adjust? ● Do you have the tools and resources to do your job well? ● Have I given enough context about why this work is important or who it serves? ● What about my management style frustrates you? Do I follow up too often or not enough? |
Ask These Questions to Look Outward
Focus on: “What on the employee’s end is limiting them? What choices or capabilities are holding them back?”
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● How have you been feeling about your own performance? Where can you improve? ● What parts of your work do you enjoy or find motivating? ● What tasks make you feel stuck, and why? ● Which tasks feel dull or low-priority? ● When did you last connect with a customer who benefited from your work? Would you like more opportunities? ● Are you playing to your strengths? Where is the steepest learning curve? ● Are you feeling optimistic, pessimistic, or neutral about the company’s future? |
Why These Questions Matter
Notice none of these ask accusatory questions like, “What are you doing wrong?” or “What am I doing wrong?” The goal is understanding, not blame.
By approaching underperformance with thoughtful questions, you create a space where the employee wants to improve. Coaching is about guiding them to change and grow. That improvement is the ultimate goal.
One area where consistent underperformance can indicate a deeper hiring issue is where the original screening process failed to surface a role or values mismatch. Strong pre-employment screening and thorough reference verification reduce the likelihood of finding yourself in this position. For guidance on building a more rigorous vetting process, contact Searchlight Background Screening.
