An employee who underperforms usually belongs to either the “can do/won’t do” or the “will do/can’t do” category. Those who can but won’t have motivation problems and those who will but can’t have performance problems associated with lack of skills.
First, identify the cause(s) of the underperformance—is it a motivation or a skills problem?
If the employee is a “can do/won’t do,” the behaviors are: he/she is a complainer, performance is inconsistent, can be informal negative leader, absenteeism, and/or will often have a reason for not performing.
Solutions: Counseling by supervisor, confronting the employee’s poor performance, providing clear expectations, giving performance feedback.
If the employee is a “will do/can’t do,” the behaviors are: he/she will make mistakes, usually can only perform simple tasks, is positive, and asks a lot of questions.
Solutions: Offer skills training, clarify job specifications, provide positive reinforcement when a task is completed satisfactorily, or transfer the individual to another job—change their task.
Dora Ho-Ellis
BS, Business Management, finance ’81
Manager, Centre for Enterprise & Executive Development And Research (CEEDAR)
School of Business, Singapore Polytechnic
Republic of Singapore
As a manager and educator, I have learned a very important principle: no two individuals are motivated the same way. Even management guru Douglas McGregor had a difficult time grouping all individuals into his Theory X and Theory Y. The following has allowed me to better personalize the concept of motivation and help those who seemingly underperform.
Remember that employees—not customers—are the most valued asset of any organization. Treat them as such and they will perform.
Analyze the style of management you exercise with employees. Are you a manager, stringent and autocratic, or are you a leader, dynamic and charismatic? Often the style of management employed stymies the growth of employees.
Finally, when we choose to implement Dr. Stephen Covey’s fifth habit of highly effective people—first seek to understand, then to be understood—we position ourselves for success. Listening to your employees with the intent to understand will make your job of motivating them much easier.
Gene Blackmun III
BS, Marketing ’92
Business Instructor
Santa Ana College, California
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Alumni Exchange: A forum for alumni to share ideas about challenges facing Marriott School graduates.