Dear Yogesh,

Is it possible to know when someone is not performing up to the mark and is the time to let them go? My partner and I founded a start-up and hired a sales rep to increase our sales. So far, he has made one sale which is not enough to sustain the job. I am in self-doubt and cannot think about what to do. Please suggest something.

Regards,

Mira

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Dear Mira,

A lot of people believe that management is a job everyone can do without much effort and can covet only to find that once they land in that position, it’s extremely difficult. And the stakes are even higher when the fate of your company is dependent upon another person’s performance.

As your question suggests, there are a number of factors that affect a person’s performance. Diagnosing what a person needs and why someone is not living up to the expectations is quite necessary. A major reason why people sometimes underperform is a lack of resources and direction. Perhaps it can be a need for additional skills as the role evolves or not having the proper training to do the job.

Then there are the motivation challenges that a person faces when doing a job he or she is not perfect at. This involves feeling disengaged, burned out, or overwhelmed. Both challenges can be solved, but the approach and solutions will be very different.

So, before you decide to relieve that employee of yours, I would want you to consider a few things and hold a Crucial Conversation about their performance. This final conversation might lead to your decision of letting the person go, or it may result in a performance plan that will get them back on track.

Below, I’ll share some tips for mastering that performance conversation—tips that revolve around the important step of diagnosing the challenge as one of ability or motivation and then what to do once you figure it out.

FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS

Performance discussions are hard — there's no denying the fact. To try not to create a defensive environment with people, focus on what's relevant. Start by depicting the gap between your expectations and what you've seen over the course of the past year. For instance, this job is a business job, and there is a standard to maintain that your partner isn't able to perform. Just discuss that gap, don't construe how it affects you about them personally.

ANALYZE MOTIVATION AND SKILLS

While managing people who are not performing up to the mark, their absence of commitment can be because of lethargy, ineptitude, or detachment. Yet rushing to make that judgment call will never work well for any of you or anyone else to make the right decision. After talking about what the issue is to your partner, pause and pay attention to what they need to say. And device the strategy according to that.

MAKE IT EASY

After the crucial conversation, If you discover that your employee doesn't have what he or she needs to close a sales deal, then a motivational speech will do no good. As an entrepreneur, the quickest way to obtain the outcomes you need is to make it simple for your employee to take care of what he does. Ask them what it will take to eliminate the problems that are not getting the results.

If they don't have any idea, It is better you have a talk. Perhaps they need access to another data set to get more leads, or they need a financial plan to travel and settle on face-to-face deals. Whatever it is, the situation will end up being clearer as you work it out.

END WELL

Whenever you've examined all the aspects, you ought to have a few discussions with your partner that will further assist you with a final decision, and it'll be an ideal opportunity to make a move. If you think the performance improvement plan will make a difference, it is better to keep an employee who knows the business. But, if you think it is a dead-end, you need to take the final call.

I would urge you to have this Crucial Conversation before you make the decision to let your associate go. I would likewise advise you to have these Crucial Conversations more often. It appears you have missed the chance to inspect by letting a whole year go by without diagnosing and settling the difficulties you and your employee are confronting. Your long negligence has put your employee’s work on the line, as well as the progress of your organization.

You'll have to check in often to guarantee the performance plan is working and change is the end route. Soon you'll get to know the challenges that are and need to be resolvable. Furthermore, if they are not able to perform, you can go without hesitation settle on the choice to let them go.

Regards,

Yogesh Sood

The above is an adaptation of a blog written by Brittney Maxfield on APRIL 27, 2022

https://cruciallearning.com/blog/how-to-know-whether-to-let-someone-go/