Most business owners are afraid to let poor and mediocre team members off their bus (i.e. let them go/fire them). They rationalise their lack of action because the team member does some good work and sometimes is acceptable. The business owner spends hours stressing and worrying about them and spend even more time trying to get them to work to an acceptable standard.
My experience is that if your heart says that the team member is not going to work out it then you’re normally right. The day they are replaced is the day your business will starts to grow again.
However, to take this action – i.e. to remove a poorly-performing team member -you need to make sure that you act in a clear and fair way. I suggest the following process:
* Firstly, you need to ensure the rules of the game and the performance goals are clear. Team members need to know exactly what you are expecting of them.
* Then you need to ensure that they know how to do what you are asking and have the necessary skills to carry out the tasks.
* Once both parties agree on what is expected, performance measures should be put in place and achievement of these measures should be reviewed on a regular basis.
* If your team member meets the performance measures, then your heart will tell you they are changing for the good and deserve a second chance. If they do not, you have grounds for dismissal on the basis of poor performance.
What normally happens in these circumstances is that it becomes so obvious to your team member that they are not good enough that they will quit before you dismiss them.
Just remember not to take any rash action and seek professional HR advice before you act.
