Average isn't enough



How do you deal with people that are average performers?

The nice, loyal employees, who are not capable of stepping up to do what the job requires in the future?

You can’t really fire them for poor performance, because they are not problem employees, but you also know they are not what you really need in your business. 

They can’t help you enough to get where you need to go.

This is a very common situation, and as a leader you have two choices.

1. Average leadership behavior would be to let it ride, and wait until you can hire an additional new person, who is a top performer into a NEW role, and leave the average performer there.

2. Stand-out leadership behavior would be to change your organization, and build it UP.

Draw the ideal blank-sheet org chart

1. Start with the Desired Outcome for the Business

Get really clear about what business outcomes the company needs, and what the role is that your team needs to play in driving them.

Really understand and articulate the specific work, strategic problem solving, and outcomes that your team, and the specific individuals on your team, need to deliver to drive those business outcomes, not just now but in the future.

2. Draw your ideal org chart

Create a picture of the team that can do what you really need done.

Start with a blank sheet of paper. 

Don’t consider the current roles or who you already have on the team at all.  Just think about what the BUSINESS really needs, what outcomes you are on the hook for, and what the ideal team would be to make sure you can do it.

3. Create and clearly define the specific NEW roles

When you define the new roles, focus on outcomes, objectives and deliverables, not just “responsibilities”. 

List the long term objectives and short term work for each role on your ideal team.  Articulate the level of skills for decision making, strategic thinking, communicating, leadership, influence, and support which are required of someone in the role.

4. You have just created a clear and actionable picture of your goalIt is your job to make that picture come true.  It is likely that your current team does not fit into that structure.  It is your job to change your team over time so it does.

 

Two things will likely become clear at this point:

1. Some of your current people will people obviously map into the new roles.  Put them there.

2. You will end up with both some empty boxes AND some extra people.

The hard part

The real leadership comes in when you need to fill the empty boxes, and deal with the extra people.

This is a straightforward, and business focused way to move average or unmotivated performers off your team when you can’t fire them for being poor performers.  You make it clear what the business needs, what the new roles are, and what the requirements are for those roles.

It’s not personal

Their role does not exist any more.  The roles that do exist are new and different.  They are welcome to interview.   If they don’t make the cut, either give them a new role a level down in your organization, move them to another organization, or lay them off.

Your job is not to take care of people who are not up to the job you need to get done.  Your job is to build a team that can drive the right business outcomes.

This seems harsh. Is this really necessary?

Sure you can look around you, and see lots of average performance and other leaders not acting on this and not doing what it takes to build the right team. 

There can be a wide-spread tolerance for mediocrity in your company. 

Maybe you won’t lose your job if you just tolerate average performance and muscle through most of the hard stuff personally.

But just be clear maintaining the status quo is not stand-out, high value behavior as a leader.

This is not the kind of leadership experience that will set you up to advance. This is opting out as a leader.

This does not make you a bad person

If you have to eliminate jobs to build a stronger team, that also doesn’t prevent you from helping people you let go, get into their next job.  It wasn’t a performance issue, you needed different roles and this person was no longer a fit.  You are still in a position to help and provide referrals.

I have found that when people are struggling in the wrong roles and not doing well enough, taking them out of the role, gives them a new opportunity to move to a role where they can thrive and excel.  After getting over the initial shock and disappointment, they are often happier.

I acknowledge that right now is not a great time to be putting people out of work, but you can’t let that keep you from building the right team.

The other way to look at it is that you may be putting your whole team and your own job at risk, by not stepping up to do what the business needs.

The tougher the business challenges, the stronger the team you need.

You can find Patty at www.AzzarelloGroup.com, follow her on twitter or Facebook, or read her books RISE and MOVE.


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