For years, a fairly seasoned professional was
underperforming. No one had much confidence in her because she worked slowly,
made mistakes and seemed to have limited capabilities. Because of her tenure,
the firm leaders tried to find a place for her instead of letting her go. They
moved her around, working with different partners, managers and clients, all to
no avail.

Today, that same underperformer is now functioning
admirably. Others in the firm seek her out for information and help. Clients
call and ask for her specifically. In fact, she is sent into certain client
situations to do a job that is reserved for the most competent. Finally, she
has the highest productivity realization of any in her position. What happened to
her?

I’d like to say it was all my doing, but then mom would
put me in time-out for lying. Not me, but a new manager who took her position
of managing seriously and did what she’s supposed to do: create an environment
where her people can thrive. It wasn’t easy or quick, but it was effective.

First, she identified the person’s work style (thorough,
procedural). Then she assessed competency (she knew what to do but relied on a step-by-step
process). Then she determined where the performance breakdowns occurred and discovered
that when there was too much deviation from her procedures, she tended to
stumble. So the manager instructed her to ask for clarity IMMEDIATELY.

Over time, the person became more secure and confident in
her new success, which made her willing to assume responsibility for tasks that
required a higher level of risk. Soon, she was willing to be a go-to person,
helping colleagues and clients alike. The manager’s efforts paid off and
everyone gained.

Now, can you attribute someone’s rise from mediocrity to
your managerial efforts? Your people are relying on you to manage well so they
can perform well. Don’t blame them all the time. You have a dog in the fight
also.

Take some time this week to identify an
underperformer and put a plan in place to get him/her up to speed. In other
words, perform as an effective manager.