PMcrunch

Anyone who has been “around the block” at least once is likely to have encountered problem performance on the part of at least one person associated with the project.  The question is “How do you deal with problem performance and how can you improve it?”

Determine and Measure the Performance Gap
The most critical step in managing and improving problem performance is in truly defining what that problem performance is.  In other words, we need to somehow qualify or support the statement that there is a problem performance here.  Typically, as in all business situations, metrics are going to be at the core.  So first think qualitatively about why you truly believe the performance is substandard, write it down.  For each point you write down, try to associate some metric by which you can measure the current performance and by which you can quantify your expected performance.  Much of this information on expected performance could already be in the project plan as it may have been used for determining project task durations.

With the factors and metrics laid out on paper, you are now prepared to sit down and talk to a team member.  This potentially can be tricky if this person is not truly and directly part of your team.  In either case, if you are addressing this issue you should have some level of authority and at least be able to approach an individual from a more matrixed role.  The point of this discussion is to verify and validate:  (1) What the expected project metrics are and (2) To arrive at consensus as to what you believe the current performance is, and what the team member believes his or her current performance is.  If you can get to the end of this step and feel that you have your arms around this, and are well engaged with the employee, you are probably 90% of the way there to dealing with the issue.

Using Performance Gap Metrics to Improve Performance
Now if both you and the employee are willing – and be very honest about this – you can take steps to work together to improve the performance by directly attacking the performance gap, as laid out in the performance gap measurements that you have agreed upon.  Whatever your plans are, just as with the overall project plan, you are moving into a monitoring and controlling phase where you are putting actions into place and will monitor them closely to see if you are achieving what you want to – which is to close the performance gap.  It may also be possible that you have discovered that your performance gap is a result of having unrealistic expectations and rather than improve performance you may need to reduce expectations.  If this is the case, you will need to outline this carefully, address stakeholders, and revise your project plan.
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John Reiling, PMP
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