Yes

One of the most difficult situations we can encounter in life is wanting to do well but it’s not coming together. We struggle because there is a gap between our capabilities and what is required to succeed. We encounter this situation in sports, academics, music and any hobby we take up. We need a strong supervisor.

Yes, But

On the other side, those in a position to be strong supervisors sometimes resist and resent the fact that their protégés need the additional attention. This issue arises in my calls with partners. The partners ask, how is it that smart professionals need so much of my time? Why can’t they notice that they are falling short and figure out how to succeed, like I did?

What About

And then there are those who are underperforming but they think they are doing ok. As you can imagine, there is a term for this. It is referred to as the self enhancement bias, or the tendency to view more favorably one’s performance  than is warranted by objective reality. Partners and supervisors who coach struggling performers find this part of their job particularly stressful, frustrating and time-consuming. Their messages to struggling performers are viewed as simply their opinion and an example of them being overdemanding.

So there are two types of struggling performers: those who are aware and those who aren’t. Regardless, the response should be the same. They both need a strong supervisor.

It’s The Same

Strong supervision means having to be more involved. It means having to confirm assignments or requests in a follow up email to make sure there is clarity and documentation. It means having to meet more frequently for check-ins and updates. It means asking more direct and specific questions about their progress. It means helping them prioritize their work so they focus on the right things. It means consistently asking if there are other priorities that conflict.

If it feels like micromanaging, it probably is. But if it is required to move people to a higher level of performance so you aren’t left holding the bag, it may be worth the effort. All of your complaining that you shouldn’t have to do all this is futile, so let it go. Hopefully, your time and effort will help struggling performers with a clearer sense of their actual performance and give them better work and communication skills.

Your Turn

Being a strong supervisor requires something different for each of the ones you supervise. Take the time and invest in each one so they can succeed, knowing each has their own needs. This is the job of being a strong supervisor.