Diagnosing Performance Issues

Name: Diagnosing Performance Issues
Author: Khin Hnin Soe

Learn how to diagnose performance issues

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 4 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

(bright music) There are many reasons why an employee has performance issues at work. Someone's performance can be affected by their ability and motivation. In this course on Diagnosing Performance Issues, you will learn how to identify the causes of poor performance and how to set expectations for individuals and teams. Low motivation can lead to poor performance. People often feel unmotivated when they feel there's no opportunity for them to get promoted or advance their career even after putting in the effort. They may also find the nature of their work to be boring, limited, or unsatisfying. Maybe they feel their superior is biased against them, doesn't trust them, or micromanages them more than others. An employee can also perform poorly when they're stressed about the working environment or their situation at home. As an employee spends significant amounts of time in a toxic or inhospitable work environment, their productivity tends to drop. For specific projects, they may feel stressed from having to handle tight deadlines or limited resources without any support. All these factors can lower employee motivation, further impacting their overall performance. Let's say that Sandy is a poor performer. The first step to identify the causes of her poor performance is to consider all the possible reasons that relate to Sandy's ability and motivation. Does Sandy have the right skills and knowledge for her job? Does she understand what's expected of her to perform well? Does she know which areas are most important? Does she know how tasks need to be prioritized? As a manager or team leader, you can also ask yourself whether you might have done something to cause Sandy's poor performance, especially in the way you manage and support her. The next step is to talk to other people who have worked with Sandy, such as a previous superior or other team members. This will help you form a more objective view of what's happening with Sandy. It's best to be careful and approach only those people you can trust to keep the matter confidential since you don't want to aggravate the situation further. For example, you can ask general questions like, "How did you find it working with Sandy during the project?" If the person is vague when answering such open-ended questions, you can follow up by asking for their opinion of Sandy's ability and motivation during that particular project. After you've thought through the possible causes and listened to other people's opinions of her, it's time to speak to Sandy directly. Start with an open-ended question, like asking her to evaluate her own performance in terms of her ability and motivation during her last project. That'll keep her from feeling threatened or defensive and will prompt her to assess her performance more objectively. Sometimes, this self-reflection is the best approach to uncovering the root cause of a problem. If a general approach doesn't get Sandy to reflect on herself objectively, then describe your own observations of her performance. Then, ask her what happened. For example, you can say, "I asked you to submit the report by yesterday, but I haven't received it. What happened? Is everything all right?" If Sandy has been missing deadlines repeatedly, you can also say something like, "I notice you've been behind on several deadlines. What's been happening? Is there any support I can offer to help you meet your deadlines?" That approach signals to Sandy that you've noticed her missing deadlines, that you're going to hold her accountable for it, and that you want to hear her explanation. Offer to brainstorm with her by asking her what else you could have done to support her performance. You might discover the source of the problem is that the deadlines weren't clearly set, that she didn't have the necessary resources for the job, or that she setting the wrong priorities for herself. By following these steps, you can identify the root causes of poor performance among your team members and start working to fix them.

Intermediate Provider : Khin Hnin Soe 4 Lessons · 13m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

There can be many reasons why employees fall short of expectations. Managers can be quick to assume performance is tied specifically to ability and motivation, but personal or professional barriers also affect performance. For example, morale suffers when employees don’t connect with the management style or their team culture. There’s often no need to assume incompetence, undermotivation, or a wrong fit for the job. There can be many obstacles to achievement of work standards.

Employees may perform poorly if they misunderstand what’s expected of them. When managers take a moment to uncover the real reasons why performance is poor, speak to underperformers directly, and invest trust, new doors open for employees to improve. In these lessons on Diagnosing Performance Issues, you will discover how to identify the causes of poor performance. You’ll then address how to set expectations for both team-based and individual performances so you can get your employees back on track.

What You'll Learn

Investigate the causes of poor performance
Identify obstacles and barriers that affect employee achievement of work standards
Set team performance expectations
Set individual performance expectations
Relate team expectations to individuals to get employees back on track

Key Takeaways

Poor performance can stem from many causes beyond ability and motivation, including personal or professional barriers.
Employee morale suffers when employees don't connect with the management style or their team culture.
Employees may perform poorly if they misunderstand what's expected of them.
Uncovering the real reasons for poor performance, speaking to underperformers directly, and investing trust open new doors for employees to improve.
The course covers identifying causes of poor performance and setting both team-based and individual performance expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this course?

You will discover how to identify the causes of poor performance, then set expectations for both team-based and individual performances so you can get your employees back on track.

Who is this course for?

It is aimed at managers who want to diagnose why employees fall short of expectations and address the real reasons behind poor performance.

What topics are covered?

The lessons cover Identifying the Causes of Poor Performance, Setting Team Performance Expectations, and Setting Individual Performance Expectations, followed by a Test Your Knowledge assessment.

Does the course include an assessment?

Yes, the course concludes with a Test Your Knowledge lesson.