What to Do When Employees Aren’t Performing
Doing stuff! I just love doing stuff! No…I don’t. I really hate doing stuff. In fact, I’d rather be reclining in a velvet divan while my admirers carry me to and fro. “Over there! Near the cherry tree! Ashley, did you bring the peeled grapes? Be a good minion and feed them to me? Yay, say I!” With my luck, Ashley would just stand there, examining their nails, while the grapes sit nearby, unpeeled. #FirstWorldProblems
In my pursuit of the glorious aspirational life of leisure, I talked about how to delegate your work to minions (episode 340). And then in episode 386, I discussed how to get over your natural fear of delegation. Today, we’re going to delve deeper.
Minions Are Unreliable
As much as you love peeled grapes, you’d rather not share them with your minions, right? I mean, minions can’t appreciate them. And besides, you’re better than they are. You are the one invited to Davos. They act out. They don’t do the tasks you’ve delegated. At least, I’m pretty sure they’re acting out. What other reasons could they have for not getting things done?
Er…well, maybe your specifications were unclear. Or they don’t know how to do the thing. Or their dog ate their homework.
Upon reflection, may be many reasons they didn’t deliver. So what’s a world-dominator like yourself to do?
Ask Direct Questions
Sit down with your minion, and ask: “What’s going on? What support do you need to peel the grapes?”
As they answer, listen carefully for the how-to, want-to, chance-to that we talked about in episode 270, on Joe Yeager’s three questions to help you set goals. The lack of any one of the three is enough to keep them from delivering your peeled grapes.
People Often Say “I Didn’t Have a Chance To”
Minions are often happy to report when they don’t have a chance to do the work. They’re busy. There were emergencies. Their alarm didn’t go off. It wasn’t their fault.
Or they didn’t have a chance because they’re missing the tools. Ashley complains that I didn’t provide a grape-peeler for their use. And they expect that to be a legitimate excuse? They should have just used a…used a…Ok, fine. I should have provided a grape peeler.
If the problem is “I didn’t have the chance to,” it means they lacked opportunity.
People Sometimes Say “I Don’t Know How”
They may hesitate more to admit they didn’t know how to do the work. Some people can say “I don’t know how.” Others, however, were trained in middle school never to admit they don’t know. And if they said they didn’t know, the teacher would make them read “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” in front of class. They would become a social pariah. The other kids would ridicule them. The other teachers would…let’s just say some things make a big impression when you’re young. My therapist and I are working on it.
So minions will admit if they don’t know how to do something. But sometimes they won’t, if they believe ignorance equals death.
If the problem is “I didn’t know how to,” then they need instruction.
People Never Say “I Don’t Want To”
And in business, people never admit they don’t want to do the work. We pretend we love what we do (even though 64% of the workforce is not “actively engaged,” according to Gallup). We pretend we love our co-workers. We put on our cheery face and go to work, grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Such. An. Amazing. Workplace! YAY, US!!!
In reality, if we don’t conform to the dictates of our corporate overlords, we will be punished and probably fired. So when someone is asked, “Why didn’t you peel the grapes?” you can be sure that if the problem is lack of motivation, they won’t admit that out loud.
If the problem is “I didn’t want to,” then they need motivation.
Now, how do we go about fixing each of these delegation fails?
Fix “Chance To” With Time and Tools
Behind “I didn’t have the chance to, is a lack of time or tools. If it’s time, review their competing commitments together. Figure out what can be juggled so they have time to peel your grapes.
Also, consider the deadline. While I’m sure you have never, ever, ever given someone an overly optimistic deadline for a delegated task, many other people have.
Maybe Ashley just needs more time to peel the grapes. (Unlikely, because of course I always set deadlines correctly. Always. Even when I’m a year late getting my manuscript to my publisher. My deadline was correct. It was my publisher’s that was the problem.)
If they need tools, get them what they need. That’s part of delegating.
If you want Ashley peeling grapes, you have to give Ashley a grape peeler.
Fix “How To” With Classes
They’ll happily tell you if they need time or materials. That’s chance to. But also notice their how to. They may tell you outright that they don’t know how to do something. Or they may be oddly vague in a way that suggests they don’t know.
Ashley could say “I was so psyched to peel grapes! But they somehow kept being cut in half.”
“What were you doing?” you ask.
“I was just using the, er, machete. I was, er, peeling them. The grapes, I mean.”
It sounds like Ashley might not know how to peel grapes, and is afraid to say so.
If they don’t know how to do the thing, get them taught. YouTube bring the world’s knowledge to our fingertips! Plus the world’s conspiracy theories! And the world’s entire collection of false information, that tells you that delicious party cocktails can be made by dropping 5 Mentos candies into a liter bottle of Diet Coke.
Fix “how to” problems by signing your minion up for a course. Or connect them with someone senior who can give them the necessary guidance. Send them to an in-person class. Or give them a project to develop the skill they’ll need.
Fix “Want To” With Something They Care About
Ashley will never tell you if the problem is they just don’t want to peel grapes. For “want to” problems, watch your minion’s emotional aspect. If they seem unexcited about peeling grapes, say: “It seems you’re not very enthusiastic about grape peeling.”
Then just wait. They’ll squirm a bit and suddenly blurt out, “Grape peeling just doesn’t seem very…meaningful. Especially if I’m not being paid.”
Now you know you need to help Ashley find meaning in their job. And pay them, too. It turns out that working for free (or deferred pay) hinders motivation.
If you’re not up to helping them find meaning and payment, it may be time for you and Ashley to part ways. You’ll have a story of an ungrateful minion who didn’t want to work for free. Ashley will have a story of the boss who gave them a thankless job. And at least one of you will be right.
Delegation is the ticket to the good life. You spend a little time delegating, and a lot gets done. When your minion doesn’t deliver, ask why. Don’t just assume they need training; diagnose, then help your minion fix the problem. Soon you’ll be back up and running. Like Ashley, who’s peeling grapes like a champ…for someone who is willing to pay them. If you know anyone who’s looking for a great job peeling grapes, I have an opening, it comes with its own grape peeler and, of course, it will be great exposure.
I’m Stever Robbins. Check out Get-it-Done Groups to get your book written, get in the habit of doing regular prospecting, or finishing a stalled project. Go to Get It Done Groups
Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!
Delegate image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Stever Robbins was the host of the podcast Get-it-Done Guy from 2007 to 2019. He is a graduate of W. Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management training program and a Certified Master Trainer Elite of NLP. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Computer Sciences from MIT.
