Let’s talk about that team member who just isn’t stepping up to the level needed for a high-performing team. The one keeping you up at night because you know their potential, but they are not there yet. Let’s call him Brian.
You’ve tried the traditional approach—sandwiching criticism between compliments — yet nothing changes. Brian either misses the message entirely or leaves the conversation demoralized rather than energized. Fortunately, there’s a better way.
The fatal flaw in how we give feedback
When facing people like Brian, our instinct is to zero in on weaknesses. After all, that’s what’s causing the problem, right? This conventional thinking is precisely what’s sabotaging your coaching efforts.
Consider this eye-opening example: The coach of the Olympic gold medal-winning Dutch female hockey team once spotted a player with an extraordinary forehand but a weak backhand. For three years, he obsessively worked to strengthen her backhand. The results? Her backhand improved marginally, but her once-devastating forehand — her true competitive advantage — steadily declined.
One year before the Olympics, he radically changed course. He abandoned all efforts to fix her weakness and instead focused exclusively on making her forehand even more lethal. The outcome? She scored four goals in the championship game, delivering gold for her team.
Are you doing the equivalent in your organization? Fixating on your team members’ weaknesses while their superpowers gradually fade?
The overused-strength paradox
Here’s what’s often really happening with Brian: His greatest asset has morphed into a liability through overuse.
Take the brilliant strategist on your team whose optimism once drove innovation. That same optimism, when overplayed, now manifests as detachment from operational realities. Their forecasts are consistently unrealistic. The team has stopped trusting their judgment.
The issue isn’t an absence of talent — it’s calibration. Your leader hasn’t lost their superpower; they’re simply deploying it inappropriately.
Before you have “the talk”
Your struggling team member can sense your frustration. Before scheduling that feedback conversation, rigorously examine your intent. Is your goal genuinely to help them succeed, or are you building a case for their exit?
If you detect even a hint of the latter, pause. Your finely-tuned BS monitor will detect inauthentic motivation immediately, rendering your feedback useless. Wait until you can approach the conversation with absolute clarity of purpose: their growth and success. This discipline becomes even more crucial when you’re frustrated. Knee-jerk feedback from the C-suite creates wounds, not improvement.
The breakthrough feedback framework
Replace your feedback sandwich with this powerful alternative:
- GOOD: “Here’s where you demonstrate exceptional value …” Be specific and authentic. Remind them of their unique contribution to the organization. Watch as their defensive posture softens.
- MORE: “I need you to amplify this specific capability …” Direct their attention to productive strengths that could be leveraged more effectively.
- LESS: “This strength is being overused in these situations …” Help them recognize where their natural tendencies are working against them.
- START: “Begin incorporating this element into your approach …” Identify the missing piece that would transform their performance.
- STOP: “This specific behavior is undermining your effectiveness …” Name what must be eliminated, not as a character flaw but as a tactical adjustment.
This nuanced structure acknowledges the contextual nature of performance. It creates space for honest conversation without triggering the shame response that shuts down learning.
When the whole team needs to address performance issues
Sometimes, underperformance stems from team dynamics. Create a structured opportunity for candid peer feedback using these powerful prompts:
- “Something I genuinely value about your contribution is …”
- “A shift that I think would benefit you is …”
- “Something you could change that would help me perform better is …”
Pair team members for brief three- to five-minute exchanges. The time constraint creates focus, while the structure ensures psychological safety. You’ll be astonished at how quickly issues surface and are resolved when peers provide direct, balanced feedback.
The executive imperative
As a C-suite leader, your feedback isn’t just commentary — it’s a powerful catalyst for transformation. When you abandon outdated approaches and embrace this more sophisticated framework, you’ll unlock potential in your leadership team they never knew they possessed.
The executive who masters courageous coaching doesn’t just salvage struggling talent — they transform underperformers into the organization’s next generation of exceptional leaders.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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