by Jack Junier

Created on: November 24, 2008

Employees who can't - or won't - meet production guidelines for your department can be a drag on several areas of your operation. In the best-case scenario, you have several other team members who can pitch in and the work still gets done, leaving you with a mildly stressed team of overachievers. All too often, however, there's not enough staff to cover the shortage caused by your non-productive employee. This can cause resentment and animosity on the part of those trying to keep up - against both the underperforming staff member and you, the manager.

Before you begin to address the problem with your underachiever, consider the following:

- Has your employee been made clearly aware of your expectations, either through a detailed job description or some other explicit communication from you?

- Has your employee made you aware of any obstacles he's encountered that it would be your responsibility to fix?

If your problem employee knows your expectations and hasn't communicated any issues to you, it's time to review the situation with him one-on-one. Before scheduling the meeting, have documentation ready to demonstrate your employee's production rating versus your requirements. Be prepared to offer constructive feedback designed to motivate him to achieve more.

Begin by asking what your employee's thoughts are on his recent job performance. You may be surprised to hear that he's not happy with how he's been doing, and for any number of reasons hasn't told you about his concerns. If he's aware that his performance isn't meeting expectations, use that opening to kick off an open dialogue about how he can improve. If he doesn't immediately see that there's a problem, outline frankly what the needs of your company are, and why it's important that he bring his performance up to par.

It can't be stressed enough that, at this stage, you need to listen to your employee's responses. One of the leading causes of productivity issues is a lack of understanding where basic job functions are concerned. Focus this initial discussion on difficulty your employee may be having with his daily assignments, and how you can help him bring his performance up to an acceptable level. Follow through with any additional training or coaching you agree to provide.

This is your best opportunity to motivate your employee to succeed with positive reinforcement. Offer encouragement for successes, but don't ignore any failures that may arise at the same time.

Make a note for your personal reference of

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