If a member of your team is ineffective, the very first step in helping her is to check to see if she is well resourced (see Part 1). 

If you have a well-resourced team member who is still exhibiting signs of ineffectiveness, determine if he is lacking training.  I have found many people in positions for which they need retrained.  This can happen for several reasons.

1. Came to the position with inadequate training.
2. Job responsibilities have changed over the course of time without proper expansion of knowledge base.  This is why continuing education is key to the effectiveness of every employee.  Never assume passion or interest equals appropriate or necessary knowledge.
3. A change in management/leadership often creates a new paradigm that requires retraining.  A new manager/leader must not assume that the title of a person or the previous success of a person will be the same under her leadership as it was with her predecessor.
4. With the constant upgrading of technology and/or product development, it is easy for employees to lag behind or miss altogether the learning necessary for staying sharp.

Because the previous reasons for retraining are most likely not the employee’s fault, the wise leader will not affix blame to him.  Rather, the wise leader assumes it is his responsibility to ensure that every team member is adequately equipped for his responsibility.  A quick solution is not necessarily the best solution.

When employees sense their leader is genuinely interested in their personal development, even if it requires a job change, they will follow with appreciation.  And leaders better know that any and every employee can pick up on his authenticity or lack thereof.  If you want a long standing high performance team, don’t feign authenticity. 

How should a leader or manager express to an employee his need for retraining?  Here are a few tips.

• Be forthright.  It is ineffective and may be hurtful to “beat around the bush.”
• Be specific.  This is not the time to be general in your comments.  General comments never produce the kind of specificity in retraining that will be necessary for your team member to be effective.
• Be gracious.  You are calling attention to someone’s ineffectiveness, so it will cause some pain, so be kind and gentle in your approach.
• Be involved.  Don’t drop a comment about the need for retraining and leave it all on the shoulders of your employee.  Help them find the kind of professional development that will be just what they need. 
• Be patient.  Depending on the level of retraining, your team member needs time and encouragement.
• Be incremental.  Utilize your employee’s new found learning in ways in which success will come.  Allow her to use what she is learning right away, but not in high demand environments. If she feels that she needs to be completely ready all at once, the task will seem overwhelming.  Small wins are key to effectiveness and interest and longevity.

Caring for your team member’s professional development is key to a high performance team.  Sometimes that may require retraining in the way we’ve outlined here.  But if resourcing and retraining are not the answers, it may be time to refocus. 

Refocus is the third of four Rs that we will give attention to next.