You have a new team member who’s not pulling their weight. How can you get them to step up?
As a B2B marketing leader, you know how important it is to have a strong and productive team. But what do you do when you have a new team member who’s not pulling their weight? How can you get them to step up and contribute to your marketing strategy and goals? Here are some tips to help you deal with this common challenge.
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Animesh SenguptaSales Director- Process Industries Cluster East & North India at ABB
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Rawan BitarDelivering Insightful Analytical Solutions to Drive Fintech Business Growth | Senior Account Executive at e-Impact…
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Gianna WhitverBees & Cybersecurity | Co-Founder & CEO, Cybersecurity Marketing Society (No, we're NOT an agency!) | Cybersecurity…
The first step is to make sure your new team member knows what you expect from them. This includes their role, responsibilities, deadlines, quality standards, and performance indicators. You can use a simple tool like a SMART goal template to define and communicate these expectations. A SMART goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By setting clear expectations, you can avoid confusion, frustration, and conflict.
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1.Find the root cause of the problem. 2. Look for constructive solutions. 3. Start conversations with a positive tone. 4. Clarify roles and responsibilities. 5. Establish accountability. 6. Involve management as a last resort.
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Address the issue directly/privately with the team member, expressing concern about their current level of contribution while maintaining a supportive and constructive tone. Clarify expectations for their role within the team, providing specific examples of where their performance has fallen short. Listen actively to understand any underlying challenges they may be facing and work together to identify solutions. Set clear goals for improvement, offering feedback and support along the way, while also establishing consequences if necessary. Encourage open communication and regular follow-up meetings to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed, with the ultimate goal of helping the team member improve their performance .
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- Schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss expectations and perceptions of their role. - Provide clear, specific feedback on areas for improvement, offering constructive solutions. - Set measurable goals and timelines for performance enhancement. - Offer support, training, or mentorship to address skill gaps. - Encourage open communication, allowing them to share challenges they may be facing. - Monitor progress closely, recognizing and reinforcing positive changes. - If necessary, reevaluate their fit for the role or consider a different position that may align better with their strengths.
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Starting with an analysis of the underlying issues and establishing clear expectations is crucial. Once the root cause is identified, addressing the problem becomes more manageable. I firmly believe that individuals generally aspire to excel and approach their responsibilities with good intentions. It's a matter of understanding why they may be facing challenges and providing the necessary guidance and support. Occasionally, making tough decisions is unavoidable, not necessarily due to incompetence, but potentially because of a misfit with the organisational goals and team culture.
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To address a new team member not pulling their weight: Open discussion, setting up expectations and goal setting: have discussions to understand their perspective, challenges, and expectations. Communicate your expectations and set SMART goals Identify Strengths & offer support: Recognize and leverage their strengths. Provide resources, training, or assistance to address any weakness Encourage Initiative: Encourage proactive problem-solving and initiative, empowering them to take ownership of their role. Create Accountability: Establish a system for tracking and reviewing progress, promoting accountability and transparency. Team Integration: Foster a sense of belonging within the team, facilitating collaboration and mutual support.
The second step is to monitor your new team member’s progress and provide them with regular feedback and coaching. Feedback is essential to help them learn from their mistakes, improve their skills, and recognize their achievements. Coaching is a way of supporting them to overcome their challenges, develop their potential, and achieve their goals. You can use a simple tool like the GROW model to structure your coaching sessions. The GROW model stands for goal, reality, options, and will. By providing feedback and coaching, you can help them grow and perform better.
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If you find yourself with a new team member who isn't pulling their weight, it's vital to be empathic and provide clear communication. Assuming you hired the right way, sit down and have a transparent(which you should be doing anyhow) conversation. First, hear from them how they think they are doing, and try to understanding their challenges. From there, map out some achievable longer team and short term goals. Be supportive. Provide feedback, resources, and accountability. Show them what you expect from them within certain timeframes, and be there to help.
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A good way to improve low performance is to shorten the interval of control. This means meeting with them more frequently than you meet with the full team. It allows you to review these key areas in a daily huddle: What did you focus on yesterday? What obstacles did you encounter? What can I have you overcome? What will you work on today? This will reveal the reason for their lower performance. It could be that they were not clear on expectations or understanding of their tasks. Or it could mean that they are not qualified for the role. But either way, you have to give them a chance. Offering a little guidance can help them get to where you need to be. The world can be unkind. Be a kind person and help others improve.
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When a new team member appears to be underperforming, it's crucial to approach the situation with empathy and clear communication. Presuming your hiring process was effective, initiate an open and transparent discussion — a practice that should be standard. Begin by asking them to share their self-assessment of their performance and listen attentively to understand any obstacles they might be facing. Following this, collaboratively establish both short-term and long-term achievable goals. Offer support throughout this process by providing constructive feedback and necessary resources and maintaining accountability. Clearly outline your expectations and the timelines within which you anticipate seeing improvement and still offer support.
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Let's take a step back. Problems with the task are born at the moment of setting it. Often, the performer is in a hurry to take on something without understanding what exactly is expected of them. That's why I demand that in the follow-up after discussing plans, all tasks should be recorded in the format Who (one person responsible)-When (a clear date)-What (the result of the work, not the work itself) should be believed as a result.
The third step is to delegate tasks and projects to your new team member that match their skills, interests, and development needs. Delegation is not just dumping work on someone else. It is a way of empowering them to take ownership, responsibility, and initiative. You can use a simple tool like the RACI matrix to clarify who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each task or project. By delegating effectively, you can free up your time, increase your team’s productivity, and motivate your new team member.
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Start by clearly communicating expectations and responsibilities. Share the team's goals and emphasize each member's role in achieving them. Offer support and resources to ensure everyone can contribute effectively. For instance, imagine you have a new team member responsible for market research. Instead of just assigning tasks, engage them in a conversation about their strengths and interests. Tailor their responsibilities to align with their skills, making them feel valued and motivated. Regular check-ins provide an opportunity to address challenges and offer guidance, ensuring they understand their role's significance.
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I believe in a simple paradigm: it is not tasks that need to be delegated, but results. You formulate clear expectations of results, to achieve which the executor can choose tools and methods to the best of his/her competence and authority. When you delegate a task, you fall into a trap - the task is completed, but there is no result :)
The fourth step is to build trust and rapport with your new team member. Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship. Rapport is the connection and harmony that you establish with someone. You can build trust and rapport by showing genuine interest, listening actively, giving praise, respecting differences, and being honest and consistent. By building trust and rapport, you can create a positive and supportive work environment, enhance your team’s collaboration, and boost your new team member’s confidence.
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Every team member is unique. Building trust and rapport benefits every working situation. Building a relationship with a new team member can help them be more confident, feel connected to the team goals and most of all gives the ability to deliver feedback in a way that is helpful and not met with defensiveness. That is he best way to help someone get on track if they are lacking confidence in their role.
The fifth step is to address any issues or conflicts that may arise with your new team member. Issues and conflicts are inevitable in any team, especially when you have a new member who may not fit in or perform well. You can address issues and conflicts by using a simple tool like the STAR method to resolve them. The STAR method stands for situation, task, action, and result. By addressing issues and conflicts, you can prevent them from escalating, damaging your team’s morale, and affecting your marketing results.
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In order to prevent the problem from recurring, the focus of the analysis should not be on the problem itself, but on how to solve it and prevent it from happening again. You should give the employee a way to prevent the same problem in the future. When you say "this UI for the payment page is bad," you don't give them tools for prevention and correction. Focus on how it should be, what UI is correct, what results are expected.
The sixth step is to celebrate the successes and milestones that your new team member achieves. Celebrating successes and milestones is a way of acknowledging their efforts, rewarding their outcomes, and reinforcing their behaviors. You can celebrate successes and milestones by using simple tools like a recognition board, a thank-you card, a shout-out, or a reward. By celebrating successes and milestones, you can increase your new team member’s satisfaction, loyalty, and engagement.
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To address a new team member not meeting expectations: Set clear expectations: Define roles, responsibilities, and goals clearly. Provide feedback: Offer constructive criticism and guidance. Delegate effectively: Match tasks with skills and provide autonomy. Build trust: Show genuine interest, listen actively, and be consistent. Address issues: Resolve conflicts promptly and constructively. Celebrate successes: Acknowledge achievements to motivate and reinforce positive behavior.
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A team member who's not pulling their own weight probably should focus on back, traps, and triceps. Alternatively, they should consider a career that involves less pulling.
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When you notice someone is struggling its best to have a meeting with them one on one and have them tell you where they are struggling. A collaborative approach to problem solving usually helps with confidence and also addresses the issues in a factual and practical manner. If no improvement is noted, next steps can be taken, even such as reassignment or more
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