The main reason for your staff’s performance issues is…

I know that many of my blogs blame the leader for the mistakes or underperformance of their staff. It’s a common theme, because it’s true!

When I see a problem, I always start by looking at myself and what I can to do the get a team or a person performing better. If after exploring all my options, I find that it is not my fault, the action is going to be severe for those involved (someone is gonna get fired!). I never get to that point anymore. Somewhere down the path of arranging training, teaching stuff myself, coaching, tweaking duties, offering alternatives, setting up systems to track progress, and being caring about it all, almost everyone improves drastically or decides for themselves to get off the ship. And as our selection process gets better, there is far less jumping off the ship.

My message: stop griping about your staff’s bad intentions and look in the mirror. You are almost always looking at the reason for their shortcomings.

Another key message: you are a good person who has the position you have because someone believes in you. I believe in you, too. Being a successful leader provides a wonderful feeling that you are helping others. Being a successful leader is about doing simple things well and in a caring way. It does not take a fancy degree or a great résumé to be a great leader. It takes a willingness to see your own mistakes, forgive yourself for them, and move on in new and positive ways. Scan through my blogs and in there you will find the starting points to all the things that have worked for me and other leaders over many years. I did not invent any of it. I just learned the principles and applied them, making countless mistakes along the way and getting better over time.

Funny, as I have learned the classic lessons of leadership, my team performs better and better! I think that proves my original point, that leaders are the source of most performance problems. What do you think?

Enjoyed this week’s blog?
Subscribe to the IBEX Payroll Leadership Blog for great tips and insight right in your inbox! We publish new leadership and employee engagement content every week !!

IBEX Payroll extends our profound respect and immeasurable gratitude to all the ancestors and keepers of the land on whose traditional territories our work takes place. We acknowledge that we are on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional gathering place of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene people and the traditional homeland of the Métis people. This land is sacred, historical, and significant.

Every time we acknowledge this truth, we have an invitation and an opportunity to reflect on the wrongs of the past, what we do in the present, and what we can do to continually honour the people whose lands and water we benefit from today.

This statement only acts as a first step in honouring the land we reside on and its peoples, and must be paired with education, understanding and informed action.