Many leaders hesitate to let go of poorly performing team members even after giving them enough time to improve. Few postpone the decision indefinitely and live with the problem despite being fully aware that this affects their own performance and the team as a whole.
Why do they do this?
To avoid the terrible feeling of letting someone go.
Here are some of the ways to think about this problem and get out of the dilemma –
1. Impact on the team – Think about the condition of other team members who end up doing the work or covering up for the poorly performing team member.
The message that leaders are sending to the team – poor performance is tolerated. In a way, other team members are penalized for the indecisiveness of the leader and their performance also can suffer due to this.
2. Holding off other opportunities – The non-performing team member might be a misfit to the team but only in the current context or skillset that the role demands. By holding on to them, you are not letting him/her find the right place where he/she can flourish.
3. Learnings from failure – The biggest transformation for people happens when they fail. Moments of failure trigger self awareness, honest introspection and acceptance. By not letting go of this team member, you are not letting him/her learn/transform.
4. Assumed helplessness – Some managers unconsciously believe that if they let go of the team member, he/she would have no/little options in life/career. The truth is that everyone can gather resources and figure out the next part of their journey based on their capabilities.
5. Continuity – You can protect the team member only till your tenure in the role. Whenever you leave and a new leader takes charge, the team member might get into bigger trouble. The more delayed the decision is, the worse the situation can become.
As long as hygiene stuff is taken care of (i.e.pointed and clear feedback, reasonable time to improve, adequate paid notice period and respectful send-off), leaders should feel confident to do the right thing using the pointers above.
