The First Underperformer

The first time a team member isn’t meeting the bar, what I do sets the tone for everything that follows. The team is watching. So is the person.

In the moment

• Don’t react on a single data point. Notice it, write it down, watch for a pattern.
• Separate outcomes from process. Did they make a bad call with reasonable information, or is something deeper off?
• Resist the urge to brainstorm with peers before talking to the person. The first conversation is owed to them.

In the following days

• Have a direct 1:1. Name what I’m seeing specifically. Ask what’s going on.
• Listen for context I don’t have — workload, blockers, personal stuff, unclear expectations, a missing skill.
• Co-create what “good” looks like. Be explicit about timelines. Document it.
• Increase 1:1 frequency briefly. Coach actively.

What to watch for in yourself

• Ruinous empathy. The single biggest risk. I will be tempted to soften the message until it disappears. If I leave the conversation and the person doesn’t know there’s a problem, I failed them.
• Cataloging grievances silently for weeks before saying anything.
• Hoping the next sprint will fix it.

Common traps

• Vague feedback (“your work has been off lately”). Be specific or don’t bother.
• Skipping to a formal PIP without first trying to coach. PIPs that surprise people are a sign of managerial failure, not employee failure.
• Talking about them with peers before talking to them.
• Confusing “I find them difficult” with “they aren’t performing.” Sometimes those overlap; often they don’t.

Sample language

“I want to talk about something specific. On [project], I noticed [observable thing]. The impact was [concrete consequence]. I want to understand what’s happening from your side, and I want us to figure out together what good looks like here.”

“I haven’t said anything yet, and I should have sooner. That’s on me. Here’s what I’ve been noticing…”