I was having dinner with a friend who manages a large team of 20 people at a very reputable software development company. The conversation drifted to troubles he was having with a couple of his team members who were not pulling their weight. This is a common scenario and one that every manager has to deal with. At larger organizations, ineffective members of teams are able to stay below the radar. They are either rotated from one department to another or given some menial task that requires very little intellectual input. At smaller organizations, and more so in smaller teams with strong leaders  there is very little room for one of these individuals to hide. For instance, an early stage startup team may comprise of anywhere from 3 – 10 individuals. Even if one individuals is not pulling his weight, that comprises of 10% of the entire strength of the organization. This is unacceptable, and needs to be dealt with as early as possible to ensure the survival of your startup.

I have seen first hand how ineffective team members can drive an entire team insane. Fractions are created, people begin talking behind closed doors, and sometimes even sabotage is a possibility. Ineffective team members are kryptonite to your excellent team members. Excellent members of the team who have a strong work ethic and believe in giving their best, will be driven away from your team if they believe the leader tolerates such individuals and sub-par work. It is hence pretty clear that some action needs to be taken towards individuals who are evidently weak links in your team:

1. Briefing: I prefer having the entire team present at the first briefing with the person or persons who are clearly not meeting their targets. Candid discussions can be uncomfortable, but if done in a controlled manner and with the assistance of some 360 degree evaluation tools they can be most effective. The manager or leader needs to sit down with the individual and discuss their performance. If it has been severely lacking, I usually give them another 30 or 60 days to reach certain targets and monitor changes in their behavior.

2. Decision: Monitoring the performance of your team is the responsibility of every manager or leader. Thorough performance appraisals and feedback systems should be put into place as early as possible. If the weak links do not change their outlook within the stipulated period of the briefing, I believe there is only one option left and that is to let them go.

I do not like letting people go, I think that is a fairly universal feeling (other than Donald Trump who seems to enjoy it!). However, tough decisions need to be made to ensure that your startup can reach its target goals. It will require sacrifices to be made along the way. Sometimes, freeing your team from the burden of a member who is pulling everyone down can have an amazing impact on overall productivity and motivation. Look within your own team and evaluate whether you have any weak links. If you do, addressing this concern should be of the utmost importance.

I would really like to hear from readers how they deal with weak links on their teams. What strategies have you used that have shown results and which ones have not. Look forward to hearing from you.