A while back, during a 1:1 with a direct report, he suggested that it was time to cut one of his team members loose for under-performance.
The under-performing individual in question had been with the company for multiple years, had acceptable performance reviews, even above-market pay raises and a recent promotion.
So what was going on here?
Upon further questioning, it became apparent that this leader had been stuck alone with himself, wandering through the “Trenches of Frustration”—at no point had expectations been clearly communicated with this subordinate, nor had there been any communication between this leader and their team member regarding these expectations not being met.
Instead, deliverables slipped, resentment grew, and these misses began to affect the rest of the team.
Let’s cut to the chase. Whether this employee was under-performing or not was irrelevant; this leader had failed to clearly communicate expectations, goals, and performance metrics in the first place.
There was no moral/ethical path forward from any disciplinary standpoint until these leadership conversations were properly held.
It’s easy to judge an individual in this position—but withhold this judgment for a moment.
This is one of the most common challenges to overcome for technical leaders moving into people management roles, and this is one of many times that I’ve seen a very similar scenario play out between a frustrated leader and a subordinate.
It’s simply not as natural for most of us technical-minded folks to handle accountability conversations with team members as it would be to review and provide comments on their technical work.
One of the most effective ways to set expectations is to do so in a very clear, concise, and direct manner: “I expect that ____ will happen by ____. Do you foresee any concerns with committing to that outcome?”
Hear them out. Listen to their concerns. Remove blockers. Assist with allocating resources. But also hold professionals accountable to their commitments, once these commitments are in place.
After clear expectations have been set, here is the framework I encourage leaders to use with their team members when those expectations are missed:
- Here is the expectation that we discussed
- Here is what actually happened
- Here is the gap, help me understand
Then listen.
You may be surprised to hear that your message was not as well-understood as you have liked. You may hear that other departments are blocking further progress, and it’s time for you to help build some additional bridges with leadership on these other teams.
You may hear that there are any number of personal issues going on that you as a leader can help with by providing PTO, flexibility, or directing the employee to your org’s EAP for support. You don’t really know until you have this conversation and listen to what is going on.
It is much more likely that this provides an opportunity to build trust and coach this individual through their challenge, and much less likely that they are taking advantage of you.
And they’re more likely to speak up early on and ask for your support in the future before failing to meet a commitment, rather than after.
Before termination, before a PIP, before getting lost in the “Trenches of Frustration,” make sure you address your responsibilities as a leader to set clear expectations, and hold people accountable to them.