Run a performance conversation that is clear about the gap and fair to the person.
Find the written expectation that covers the problem you keep seeing. It might be in the person's goals sheet, a team expectations document or an email they replied to. Check that it says what you think it says and that they agreed to it. A formal performance conversation is needed once a problem continues after earlier feedback, and before you hold one you need to know your own side is in order.
Most new managers dread this meeting more than any other. Done well, it is the meeting most likely to save the situation, for the person as much as for the team.
Wei Ling had already talked to Ravi about his client follow-ups, using the SBI structure from lesson 5.2, "Situation, behaviour, impact". Things improved for two weeks, then slipped again. Then one of Ravi's clients wrote to Daniel asking whether their account could be moved to someone else, and Wei Ling decided she had to have a proper conversation with Ravi. At this stage it was no longer a single piece of feedback.
She started by asking whether the expectation had ever been clearly stated. Often it was not, because a manager's habits can pass for team rules that nobody wrote down. Lesson 4.2, "Write down the expectations you assumed were obvious", shows how that happens. In Wei Ling's case the expectation was clear. Ravi's goals sheet said "client follow-ups completed as agreed with the client", and the team expectations included telling the client before a promised date slips. Ravi had agreed to both in writing. Check too whether your earlier feedback was recorded. Wei Ling had noted the SBI conversation, with its date, in Ravi's one-on-one document.
If the expectation was never stated, the conversation changes. Admitting unclear direction is uncomfortable, and it is the fair thing to do. You state the expectation now, clearly, and treat earlier shortfalls as the result of your own unclear direction.
Next, gather examples. Three specific examples with dates are enough, and each should be a fact the person can recognise and check. Wei Ling used these three:
the Tan & Co call, promised for the 4th and made on the 9th the Lim Logistics quote, promised by Friday and sent the following Wednesday the client who wrote to Daniel on the 15th asking to move their account
State the purpose of the meeting in the first minute. People can tell when a hard conversation is coming, and a long warm-up, such as small talk about the weekend, only makes it worse. Wei Ling opened by telling Ravi she wanted to talk about client follow-ups. She said they had spoken a few weeks ago, that it had come up again, and that she wanted to sort it out properly today.
Then describe the gap, which is the difference between what was expected and what happened, backed by your examples. Keep it factual and short: say what was expected, say what happened, and give the dated examples you gathered.
After that, stop and ask for the person's view, with something like "What's going on from your side?" Managers skip this step more often than any other. They arrive with a theory of why the person is struggling and lead with the solution. Ask first and listen before you offer anything, because you may be missing something that changes the whole picture.
Ravi was quiet for a while, then explained. Since Arjun took over first contact on escalations, Ravi's own clients had been sending more queries directly to him, and he was spending most mornings on them. He had stopped keeping a follow-up list because he thought he could remember, and he could not. He had also noticed the slips as they happened and had not raised them with Wei Ling.
Once you have heard their side, decide what kind of problem you are dealing with, because the response differs. A skill problem is one where the person wants to do the work well but cannot yet, because they lack knowledge, a technique, a tool or time. It needs support, such as training, a clearer process, help with workload, or more frequent check-ins for a while. A will problem is one where the person could do the work but is choosing not to, or does not see why it matters. It needs clarity about expectations and a clear consequence if nothing changes.
Many real situations are a mix of the two. Be careful about deciding too quickly that something is a will problem. What looks like not caring often turns out to be someone who is overwhelmed, unclear about priorities, or dealing with something at home. If you are unsure, treat it as a skill problem first and watch what happens once the support is in place.
Wei Ling judged Ravi's situation as mostly skill and workload. The smaller will element was that he had seen the slips and said nothing. She offered support and was also clear with him that the situation could not continue as it was.
End the meeting with three things agreed: what will change, what support you will give, and when it will be reviewed. Ravi agreed to keep every follow-up in the shared team tracker with the promised date, to tell a client before any date slips, and to block the first hour of each day for client queries. Wei Ling arranged for new direct queries from two of his clients to go through Arjun's escalation desk for a month. They set a review in four weeks, when they would go through the tracker together.
If it is needed, state what happens if things do not improve. Say it calmly, in a level tone and without drama, as information the person deserves to have. Wei Ling told Ravi that if things did not improve, they would need to move to a more formal process with HR.
Write a short note of the meeting the same day. Cover the gap, the examples, the person's explanation, the actions, the support and the review date. Share it with the person, usually in their one-on-one document, so they can correct anything they remember differently. Doing it the same day matters because memories of a difficult conversation drift quickly, and in different directions. Lesson 5.4, "Documenting performance fairly in Singapore", covers what to record and why it matters if things later become formal.
For now, plan the conversation itself: the gap, your examples, the questions you'll ask, and the date you'll come back to it.
Plan a performance conversation for a real or composite case. Write down the gap, three examples, the questions you will ask and the follow-up date.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).