The reason people under produce is due to one of four components:

Lack Of Clarity

Because their leader’s expectations are unclear, they do not know they are under producing. Sometimes all someone truly needs is more clearly defined metrics to achieve. For whatever reason, they are fuzzy on what is expected of them and what the target is they are shooting for. Vision blurs over time. It is imperative that expectations are over-communicated on a consistent basis.

Lack Of Competence

They do not know how to produce at a higher level and therefore need either training or termination. Many people just don’t have what it takes to produce at a higher level. At this point, you have to decide if they need better training, or if they simply will never get better––even with training. If they are not able to respond to training, or have already received the training they need and are still under-producing, they may need to be let go.

Lack Of Commitment

They do not want to produce and have lost the drive to move forward. Some people become burned out and have no gas left in the tank to keep moving forward. In such cases, you must determine if they need a break, need to be moved to another area that better fits them, or need to be released from the organization altogether. They will never perform at their best if they are not committed to the vision.

Lack Of Consequences

They are not held accountable for under producing and therefore suffer no consequences for their inactivity. Many people don’t operate at their best because there are no repercussions for substandard performance if they don’t. They naturally flow to the path of least resistance and end up cutting corners to do just enough to get by. There is nothing holding them accountable. Like a child always threatened but never disciplined for their unacceptable behavior, an underperforming team member will feel they can get away with anything.

When the right players are playing the right pieces, it’s not hard to produce. You won’t have to constantly look over everyone’s shoulder and force them to get tasks done; they’ll simply do it. Make sure your players know exactly what your expectations are and that they have everything they need to do well. Eliminate every excuse and you’ll clearly know if the right players are able to play the right pieces.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”