We’ve all been part of a team in which one person refuses to be productive.  It’s frustrating as a fellow employee who has to take on the extra work.  But it’s even more maddening if you are that person’s manager.  Everyone else on the team has confided in you, but no one wants to be named the whistleblower.  What do you do?  How do you fix it?

1.  Start by speaking with the employee in question privately.  Ask him if he has any concerns he’d like to discuss.  Talk to him about how he feels he is performing.  Review his job description and responsibilities with him.  Check for understanding of your expectations. Reinforce the reason you are reviewing the job description and responsibilities.

2.  Forget about the informants and look at the facts and figures.  Do focus on the sales goals that the employee is required to meet.  Is he following procedures?  Is he turning in paperwork on time?  Is he arriving to work on time?

3.  Start assigning additional tasks or specific deadlines for regular assignments.  Stop by on your day off or at a time that you are not normally present.

The problem may be resolved after these initial steps. Some employees see an opportunity to take advantage of managers who are over-worked or who do not consistently follow up.  Once they feel you are aware of their performance, they begin to perform.

If the performance does not improve, they may search for another job.  Usually in this situation, the problem ends up leaving you before you have a chance to fix it.

Check back next week when we discuss part two of Leading an Unproductive Employee.