How to Motivate Underperforming Employees
Poor performance from employees results from a lack of ability, motivation or a combination of the two. Underperforming employees present managers a challenge. Managers must find ways to deal effectively with poor-performing employees so that other employees within the company are not affected. Understanding the reasons for poor performance is the first step toward helping the employees. Once you know the cause, you can establish a plan to motivate the employees and increase productivity.
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Establish Goals
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Establishing goals can improve the motivation of underperforming employees. Establishing goals helps employees understand the employer’s expectations and clearly see the vision of the organization and the role the employees play within the company. You can establish short-term and long-term goals for underperforming employees. Short-term goals allow employees to gain a sense of achievement early in the process. Long-term goals help employees see the big picture. Managers must set challenging and realistic goals for their employees.
Provide Assistance
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When establishing goals and pointing out issues in an employee’s ability and behavior, you should offer specific solutions to the problem. If the employee’s ability is lacking, provide the necessary tools to train him to perform more efficiently. Willingly answer questions employees ask, and provide a supportive work environment for them to excel. Managers should also encourage team members to support other employees lacking motivation and ability. However, team members should take care not to complete the underperforming employees' duties.
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Providing Feedback
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When employees make an effort to increase performance and productivity, it is imperative that managers provide feedback. Managers should give honest and timely feedback to employees. Letting employees know when they performed well is an important part of motivating them. Managers should give objective feedback, based on the employees' performance and not their personalities. Constructive feedback yields the best results because it provides clear and concise responses to the employees' performance. Managers should avoid sending mixed messages to employees and should stick by what is spoken and expected by the organization. A simple thank you for a job well done from a manager goes a long way in motivating employees.
Rewards
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Providing rewards when employees reach goals and improve performance helps employees maintain their motivation. Managers should provide rewards based solely on performance. Other employees will view any other method of rewarding low-performing employees as favoritism. Also, improperly rewarding an employee only encourages mediocre performance and fails to challenge the employee. Expensive rewards are not necessary, but the reward should hold significance to the employee receiving it.
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