5 Ways to Turn Around Underperforming Teams

Managing a team’s performance is more challenging than individual performance management. What happens if your team is not performing? Here are 5 ways for managers to fix underperforming teams:

1. Identify the factors leading to the poor performance. Talk to the team members individually, stakeholders and key executives. Ask questions that will uncover the reasons behind the underperformance.  

Questions to consider include: 

1. Has performance always been substandard? 
2. Are all team members equally skilled in their abilities to carry out the work? 
3. Are the team goals SMART? 
4. Do the team members work together collaboratively towards the common goals? 

 2. Understand what you want your team to achieve. Once the possible reasons for the lacklustre performance has been identified, the manager needs to focus on getting the team back on track. The manager may also need to re-group the team or manage personnel changes. 

3. Concentrate on a single goal. Ensure that all team members work together to achieve the single goal before moving on to other goals. Define team roles, set clear expectations for the team and use SMART goals to set team goals. 

4. Work with the team. Motivation is key in underperforming teams. Work with the team to achieve success. Results build up morale and spur team members to aim for better performance. 

5. Coach individual team members. Harness their strengths and address their weaknesses to see how they can contribute to the team. Individuals are more likely to take ownership of their roles if they feel valued. Provide training if skills are lacking for the job required.