We have a department head on a performance improvement plan because they consistently miss their scorecard targets. How do we adjust their weekly metrics during this period without lowering our standards?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a team member is on a performance improvement plan, the temptation is to lower their scorecard targets to give them an easy win. This is a mistake that undermines the integrity of your data. The targets on your scorecard are determined by what the business needs to run successfully, not by what a struggling employee is comfortable achieving. Instead of lowering the targets, you must break down the lagging metric into smaller, daily leading indicators that the employee can control. For example, if their weekly target is ten signed agreements and they are failing, do not change that target. Instead, add temporary sub metrics to their departmental scorecard that track their daily activity, such as twenty cold calls per day or five follow up emails. This allows you to diagnose exactly where the process is breaking down. If they are hitting all their activity metrics but still missing the overall target, it is a skill or GWC™ issue. If they are not even hitting the activity metrics, it is an effort or capacity issue. Keep the standard high, but increase the frequency of visibility so the employee has the path to hit their numbers.