Have a team member who's not delivering?

When I was building UpLaunch, I used to get frustrated when team members underperformed.

Then I realized...

Most performance issues aren't about the person.

They're about the gap between your expectations and your systems.

In other words… they were my fault.

Finally - after a few decades in the biz - here's my 3-step framework for giving underperformers the opportunity to unleash their inner maniac:

Step 1: Audit yo-self

Before you blame your team, look in the mirror.

Ask yourself three questions:

Have you actually trained them? (Make a list of every training session)

Do your SOPs exist, and are they accurate?

How many times have you let poor performance slide?

That last one's crucial.

What you tolerate, you endorse.

Every time you let something slide, you:

→ Rob your team member of the chance to improve

→ Rob yourself of the opportunity to coach

→ Set a new (lower) standard for your entire team

Speaking of which - these are my 4 favorite leadership books you should read this year.

Step 2: Reset expectations

When your computer acts up, what do you do?

Turn it off and on again.

Sometimes you need to do the same with expectations.

Get on a call with your team member and:

Pull up your SOPs

Review actual work with them

Explain what's right - explain what's not

In terms of how to set expectations, make it data-based. These are the 9 metrics every business needs to track relentlessly.

Which of those should this person be responsible for?

But here's the key: do more listening than talking.

Explain your expectations. Then seek to understand what they need in order to hit those expectations.

Your team member might need:

→ Resources they don't have

→ Clarity they never got

→ Changes to processes that don't work

You won't know unless you ask.

Step 3: Get explicit commitments

This is where most leaders mess up.

They have a great conversation...

Reset expectations...

And two weeks later, nothing's changed.

Here's what I do:

→ I share my screen and write down every single expectation we discuss.

→ Then I ask them to agree to each one.

Hidden concerns surface. Unclear expectations get clarified. Real commitments get made.

(Pro tip: Screenshot these commitments and email them after the call)

You want to be:

Collaborative, not confrontational

Clear, not controlling

Supportive, but serious

Because here's what I've learned:

Most people want to do good work.

They just need the tools, training, and clarity to make it happen.

If someone still isn't delivering after you've gone through this process, there are three possibilities…

You have the wrong person

You've given the right person too much work

Or they're the right person but they're still not supported properly

This framework gives them what they need to succeed (if they've got "maniac" in their blood).

Better teams let us hit bigger goals.

Let's get it.

✌️ Matt