By Fiona Craig -
Dear Fiona,
I want to get better at delivering the news that staff are underperforming. Can you give me some tips?
Thanks, Jess
Dear Jess,
Here are my tips for handling bad news gracefully so the feedback helps, not hinders.
Look at yourself first
First, perform a sanity check. Is your team member really underperforming? Have you given them the support they need to perform at their best? An underperforming team member can be the ideal reason to review training and support mechanisms.