Handling capability, behaviour and underperformance

Distinguish capability, behaviour, motivation and role-fit issues before acting.

6 questions answered

Questions answered on this page

01How do I deal with a technically strong manager who is poor with people?
02How do I deal with an employee who is capable but underperforming?
03What do I do with someone who delivers results but has the wrong attitude?
04When should I coach someone and when should I manage their performance?
05How do I improve staff engagement in a branch?
06How do I know whether I have the right people in the right roles?

How do I deal with a technically strong manager who is poor with people?

Treat people leadership as part of the manager's job, not an optional strength offset by technical performance. Describe the specific behaviour and its effect on standards, retention, decisions or customer service. Set clear expectations for how the manager must communicate, delegate, give feedback and handle pressure. Provide coaching or development where the gap is skill or confidence, then review observable change. Do not rely on broad feedback that they need to be better with people. Protect the team from repeated damaging behaviour while support is given. If the manager cannot or will not meet the leadership requirements after fair clarity and support, the issue is role suitability or formal performance, not personality style.

How do I deal with an employee who is capable but underperforming?

First confirm that the employee understands the required result, has the resources and authority to deliver it, and receives timely information and feedback. Explore what has changed. Underperformance may reflect unclear priorities, weak management, low confidence, personal circumstances, motivation or a mismatch between capability and role. Agree specific standards, actions and review dates, with suitable support. Record the conversation accurately and follow the organisation's policies. Avoid endlessly resetting informal expectations because the person is known to be capable. Capability makes the gap more important to understand, not less. Improvement needs a clear plan and evidence. If agreed performance does not follow, move into the appropriate formal process rather than allowing uncertainty to continue.

What do I do with someone who delivers results but has the wrong attitude?

Separate style differences from behaviour that damages the business or team. Define what “wrong attitude” means in observable terms, such as dismissing colleagues, ignoring standards, undermining decisions or creating fear. Strong results do not remove the requirement to behave responsibly. Explain the impact, state the expected change and apply the same standard you would use for a weaker performer. Understand whether incentives or leadership behaviour have rewarded the problem. Support change where appropriate, but do not send the message that commercial delivery buys exemption from values and conduct. If the behaviour continues, use the relevant formal process. Protecting one person's output at the expense of trust, retention and control often creates a larger hidden cost.

When should I coach someone and when should I manage their performance?

Coach when the person accepts the standard, has the potential to meet it and needs help thinking, practising or building confidence. Manage performance when expectations are unclear, commitments are repeatedly missed, behaviour is unacceptable or evidence shows that informal support is not producing change. The two approaches can work together. A manager can ask useful coaching questions while remaining clear about required outcomes, timescales and consequences. Do not use coaching to avoid a difficult message or formal responsibility. Equally, do not begin with a rigid process when a capable person needs clarity and practical support. Follow the organisation's policies and take appropriate employment advice where needed. The key is honest diagnosis, documented expectations and consistent follow-through.

How do I improve staff engagement in a branch?

Engagement improves when people understand what matters, see fair decisions, have the tools to do good work and feel their contribution is noticed. Start by listening for specific obstacles rather than launching another general initiative. Review manager behaviour, workload, rotas, communication, development, recognition and whether poor performance is tolerated. Involve the team in practical improvements they can influence, then report back on what will and will not change. Give people regular feedback and clearer ownership. Engagement is not the same as constant happiness, and a survey score alone will not fix weak management. It grows when daily experience supports trust, competence and a reasonable sense of progress.

How do I know whether I have the right people in the right roles?

Start with the work the business needs now and is likely to need next, then define the outcomes, decisions and behaviours required in each role. Compare people with that evidence rather than titles, loyalty or current workload. Look for repeated strengths, performance gaps, energy, learning ability and the level of support needed. Some problems come from unclear roles or poor interfaces rather than the individual. Test alternatives through projects, temporary responsibility, development or changed accountabilities before making assumptions. Be honest where a role has outgrown someone or where capability is being wasted. Having the right people means matching strengths and readiness to real responsibilities while addressing gaps instead of designing the structure around avoiding difficult conversations.

What you may be seeing

Managers describe people as having the wrong attitude without being able to explain the behaviour or expected change.
Technically strong employees are allowed to damage teamwork because their results are considered too valuable to challenge.
Informal conversations repeat without clear standards, dates, evidence or movement into an appropriate formal process.
Engagement activity focuses on surveys and social events while everyday management problems remain unresolved.
Roles have evolved around the people already in them, leaving important accountabilities unclear or capability underused.

What good looks like

Leaders distinguish between skill, confidence, motivation, behaviour and role fit before deciding how to act. Expectations cover both results and conduct, supported by timely evidence and direct conversations. Coaching is used to build capability, while performance and conduct processes are used when clarity, commitment or acceptable behaviour requires firmer management. Strong performers are held to the same behavioural standards as everyone else. Engagement work addresses daily management conditions rather than relying on isolated initiatives. Roles are reviewed as the business changes, allowing people to develop, move or receive appropriate challenge. Managers follow through fairly and consistently, using organisational policy and suitable advice where formal action may be required.

What may be happening underneath

Diagnosis: Capability, confidence, motivation, behaviour and role fit are being treated as the same performance problem.
Expectations: Required outcomes and behaviours are broad, assumed or communicated only after something goes wrong.
Management confidence: Managers delay direct conversations because they fear conflict or are unsure about the correct process.
Incentives: Results are rewarded more visibly than teamwork, standards and the way those results are achieved.
Role design: Responsibilities, authority and interfaces have drifted as the business and individuals have changed.
Follow-through: Support is offered, but review points, evidence and consequences are not maintained consistently.

Questions worth asking

01What specific result or behaviour is below standard, and what evidence shows the effect?
02Is the root issue knowledge, skill, confidence, motivation, conduct, management or role fit?
03What clarity, support and review period would be fair and proportionate?
04Are strong results causing us to tolerate behaviour that damages other people or controls?
05Which roles no longer match the work, capability or authority the business now requires?

Where to go next

Bring clarity and fairness to difficult people decisions. BGC leadership and management resources help merchant leaders diagnose performance issues, hold better conversations and follow through on agreed standards.

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