This week’s Quick List* is a companion to our Quote of the Week:  Every horse is good for something.

Every horse?  What about the ones that are just limping along – or even worse laying around on the job?

Here are 10 possibilities.

1.  Label them as lazy losers but do nothing about it…hoping things will change soon.

2.  Write them up.

3. Send them for more training.

4.  Withhold their oats (raises, bonuses, attention, etc).

5.  Put them out to pasture (forced or encouraged retirement).

6.  Shoot them (fire them).

7.  Consider the possibility they are like Tom Smith described Seabiscuit:   “He’s so beat up – it’s hard to know what he’s like.”

8.  Have a curious conversation to find out what could be causing the loser-like behavior.  For a stellar example of this, see Loser to Winner Over Lunch.

9.  Make your performance expectations very clear.  Ask the person what he/she needs-  training, support,counseling – to meet those expectations.   Then make a plan of what is needed and by when.

10.  Meet with the person every week to review progress, provide support and/or re-direction at least until the person is galloping along again.  If they don’t make progress – then it may be time for them to find a different kind of job.

That’s 10 of many possibilities.

From my observations:

• #1 is done most often.  It’s terrible for the morale and productivity of the entire organization.
• #2 -6 may be appropriate in some cases but I believe far too often without doing anything that addresses the fact that people are people.  And they sometimes “get so beat up – it’s hard to know what he’s like.”
• #7-10 take time and energy but in most cases, not nearly as much as is usually spent and lost in #1-6 plus the hiring and training of a replacement who could very well turn into a loser as well.
• #1-6 can be done by anyone.
• #7-10 is the sign of a strong leader at work, one who draws out the best in people, engaging them in their work and the organization’s cause

* This weekly feature is for managers who don’t have time or don’t want to make time to read lengthy articles or even short paragraphs. We call it a Quick List. AKA – 10 by 10 on Tuesday. 10 ( ideas or tips or questions or steps or ways to Get 2 Goal or Be a Better Manager, etc) by 10 (AM – EST) on Tuesdays. Click here if you’d like to see all Quick Lists created to date.

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