10 Reasons For Poor Performance At Work (Better Leadership)

Work can be frustrating. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what are the reasons why we’re struggling and underperforming at work.

Most employees want to be valued and appreciated by their coworkers and bosses, but often situations may arise where employees may find it difficult to perform at work.

63% of all employees don’t feel that their voices are heard by the management team which can be frustrating.

Reasons for Poor Performance At Work

There are many reasons behind poor performance at work. Common reasons may include health problems, family responsibilities, and financial difficulties. Whereas, bad leadership is often the main reason for poor performance at work.

Other reasons that may contribute to underperforming at work include psychological factors such as lack of motivation, inability to focus, and anxiety.

If these issues are not addressed, they can lead to job dissatisfaction and top talents leaving the job.

No Big-Picture Available

One of the best ways for employees to perform to their best ability is to know what they are working towards and how it contributes to the company’s overall success. Having a clear big picture also means it’s easier to have Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you can work towards and evaluate regularly.

Goal setting is important.

Ensure that employees know their piece of the puzzle and how they fit into the company’s overall goals. You can have this displayed somewhere, such as in break rooms or common areas, or have a regular email sent out to all employees to update them.

Once the company has identified KPIs they want to work towards, they can monitor and measure how well they are working towards them.

However, KPIs should not be a scare tactic for employees to meet goals but to help them understand their overall impact on the company.

Bad Supervision

If a group of employees lags in their performance, it could be due to poor supervision. some signs of poor leadership and supervision are:

Lack of consistency or transparency
Not giving enough guidance or micromanaging

Poor understanding of processes
Bad timeline management
Having favorites

It’s a good idea to have an easy review system so your employees can give you feedback on how their supervisor can improve.

That way, you will have a better understanding of what your team thinks. If you find ongoing issues, you can work to fix any potential issues.

Open communication is important if you want to build a high-performing team.

Miscommunication Between Employees

Two-way communication is important to ensure good understanding between different parties. Ensure employees have the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns.

Ensure that you have formal and documented ways for employees at your company to file complaints and other grievances.

If one of your employees is struggling with a task or having issues with another employee, they need to know that there are proper channels for them to get the help they need.

You should also give your employees the correct training to use those systems and have clear instructions about who to contact.

Not Letting Employees Participate In The Decision Making

Employees who can be part of a problem-solving process feel more engaged with their job and feel they are essential to the company.

Allow employees to express their opinions and solutions.

Giving your employee a chance to perform allows them to become new talents who will become an essential part of your organization.

Not Properly Delegate

Proper delegation of work is important for any organization. If an individual does not delegate tasks effectively, they will often experience poorer performance overall.

By delegating specific tasks to specific individuals, the workload is shared and the individual is able to focus on their own responsibilities.

When tasks are not delegated effectively, or when too many tasks are given to a single individual, the workload becomes overwhelming and performance suffers.

Just as you shouldn’t wait on one person to get everything done, managers and supervisors shouldn’t only delegate tasks to a small group of employees. This will lead to specific employees being overworked. Overworked employees quickly disengage from their work, leading to poor results.

No Consistency

If the company is constantly switching goals or not having consistent values, it’s very easy for employees to disengage from what they’re doing.

If employees can’t see what a company’s goals are, they aren’t going to put in the work to help achieve them.

Changing your goals or rules can confuse employees about what they’re supposed to be working on. They may give up instead of looking for solutions because they don’t know which path they’re supposed to take.

Some quick tips for staying consistent are:

Have clear goals and objectives for the company and each group of employees
Monitor KPIs for all positions and share them with employees
Schedule regular meetings to discuss the company and team goals

Not Dealing with Inappropriate Behavior

Any act that violates the company’s policies, whether discrimination, stealing, harassment, or general signs of poor performance needs to be dealt with swiftly.

Employees working in a toxic workplace as such will lead to higher levels of anxiety, stress, and even insomnia.

When employees feel their company doesn’t care about their safety or well-being, good employees will become disengaged, unmotivated, and generally unproductive.

You should ensure that the employee handbook has clear instructions about what is considered prohibited behaviors in the company.

Keep documentation of any grievances brought to your attention, address them quickly before they have a chance to spread, and ensure that your employees know they can be safe in their work environment.

Technology Needs Updating

Technology and software change incredibly quickly, and your employees need the most up-to-date tools to do their job correctly and efficiently.

The company should stay up-to-date on trends and give adequate training to their employees about how to use new technology.

It’s also essential to ask your employees what they might need to make their job more efficient. They’re more likely to know what they need and things to improve to make their job easier.

Plus, it will make them feel included in the decision, ultimately making them more engaged in learning and using the new technology.

However, having the latest technology or the most trendy program doesn’t mean it will be the right fit for your company.

Make sure you’re investing in equipment that will help your employees be more efficient instead of causing them more issues using it.

Not Acknowledging Accomplishments

Offering encouragement for a job well done can go a long way. If employees see that one of your co-workers has gone above and beyond, but they aren’t getting any acknowledgment for their achievements, then they’re not going to put in the extra effort themselves and may even slack off because they don’t see the point.

You can offer some reward or something as simple as mentioning them in the next newsletter or applauding them at the next team meeting. You may even consider starting a recognition program where employees who excel or document issues they encounter are part of their annual review.

If you’re unsure what kind of acknowledgment would be best, consider sending out a survey to the employees for the different sections of your business.

Employees who are more introverted may prefer a simple thank you.
Employees who are more extroverted may appreciate having many people applaud them.

Each employee may appreciate different gestures of acknowledgment differently.

Lack of Training

If an employee doesn’t have the proper training for the job you’re asking them to do, then they won’t be able to perform. The lack of training can be due to a few reasons,

Lack of appropriate training for the task.
Bad onboarding process.

Inappropriate arrangement of job roles.

Training is one of the most critical processes for an employee to get the right skills required to perform their job effectively.

A proper onboarding process allows employees to learn the skills and equip them with the right knowledge to get the job done.

A proper training program allows seasoned employees to take up new roles quickly and work more effectively.
Assigning a mentor to new employees allows the experienced employee to guide potential talents of the team to have a better understanding of their job roles.

If you want an employee to take on new responsibilities, proper training should be provided.

As a manager or team leaders, we can’t assume they will know how to do something or work with a new program.

Read Also:

How to Ask Boss to Leave Work Early? (With Examples)

How to Call in Sick to Work Professionally: What to Say and Text? (with Examples)

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10 Reasons for Poor Performance at Work (Better Leadership)