Five ways to raise the bar for mediocre performers

Leaders are responsible for ensuring that their teams create a winning performance. However, not all employees are able to maintain the same standard and some may even deliver mediocre performance. While this can be a concern, there are ways to improve the way such employees work. Brinda Dasgupta offers suggestions from experts on how managers can deal with a mediocre performer in their team.

Managers must create a work environment where employees are allowed to experiment. "Encourage the mediocre performer to have pride and belief in work, raise hisher aspirations and celebrate the successes. This will create a context in which the employee will recognise really good performance and constantly work towards it," says Steve Correa, chief human resources officer, Diageo India.

It is critical for managers to invest time and energy in an employee whose performance is mediocre, and ensure they are closely monitored and their projects are reviewed periodically. "A manager should shift gears from coaching for poor performance to proactive coaching so as to ensure that the employee in question is set up for success," says Amogh Deshmukh, managing director, DDI India.

Ensure that the employee is clear of hisher goals, interfaces, resources available and the metrics for success, and provide them with the conditions to succeed. "Make your colleague accountable for outcomes and not just for efforts, and empower himher to take risks. They will take responsibility for their own performance," says Correa. "Accountability is critical and comes from true ownership," says Sidu Ponnappa, director of GO-JEK.

Engage in regular feedback conversations to develop the employee further and provide challenging work for himher. "The feedback should not have a negative tone but should be development-oriented. Guide the employee on the best way to deliver effective results," says Deshmukh.

Constantly setting higher goals is crucial for a mediocre performer to raise the standard of working, especially in a fast-moving business environment. "Managers should encourage mediocre performers to aspire to continuous improvement in a sustainable manner, and foster an open and supportive environment for rapid growth," says Ponnappa.