Expressing Confidence in a Team Member’s Abilities After a Poor Performance
Compassionate leaders seek out and offer support to those team members who underperform.
They ask weak performers to share their perspective as to what occurred and why. Good leaders listen actively and then volunteer their observations.
After the initial discussion, they may agree that the performer needs a different game plan or strategy for the next assignment and suggest they are available to discuss their progress and to help them think through any next steps.
Good leaders don’t miss the chance to remind the underperformer that setbacks and weak performance happen to everyone and are a part of the learning and development process.
But the best leaders go one step further whenever they can.
If they truly believe in the skills and the abilities of the underperformer, then they make it a point to say so clearly and unequivocally.
Perhaps nothing boosts the morale and self-confidence of a team member more than when they hear from their leader that they believe in their talents, especially after a poor performance.
And these leaders get very specific.
They describe the last time (or a recent example) when the team member’s skills and talents were on display, and they performed exceptionally well.
They remind them of their past successes and milestones, describing the accomplishments they were particularly impressed by. And they get specific about the skills, describing exactly what abilities, expertise, and competencies they believe the underperformer possesses.
Believing in a colleague doesn’t mean as much if they never hear about it. Too many leaders attempt to prove their belief by endorsing the performer for the next key project or assignment. While this proof is impactful, it takes time to understand and appreciate.
A leader who talks about their belief has an immediate impact and boosts confidence so that it lasts. The key is to go beyond simply telling others that you believe in them and to get specific as to why.
”You’ve consistently delivered the best work on the team over the last quarter through your creativity, organizational skills, and expertise in project management, so we both know you have what it takes to get back on track.“
In the workplace, nothing matches a leader’s belief in the skills and talents of a colleague after a weak performance. When they truly believe, great leaders don’t hesitate to say so.
"Believing in a colleague doesn’t mean as much if they never hear about it."
So true.
Telling them why is where the deep impact comes from.
I’ve read a number of examples of that confidence being expressed after poor performance being a springboard to future success. One example is Thomas Edison encouraging Henry Ford with the words “You have it. Keep at it” at a time when Ford was considering abandoning his efforts to create a practical automobile. Ford later credited those words as a defining moment. The words of a compassionate leader can spur someone to realize their potential (make people better!)