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Underperformance usually shows up in the guise of missed deadlines, low-quality work, or a bad attitude. This gets spotted sometimes, but not always, by a leader who then has to make a choice: when and how to tackle the underperformance. However, the problem can be exacerbated by acting too quickly: there is often a fierce desire within leaders to jump to action. They want to stop the badness, stop the ripples, and solve the situation as quickly as possible. But often, this means that they make assumptions about what is causing the underperformance and how to solve it without taking a little time to explore the real reasons behind the poor performance. The problem can also be exacerbated by acting too slowly: underperformance has a nasty habit of rippling out. Whether it creates a sense among colleagues that this low standard is acceptable, or whether it means that team members get annoyed that this individual is getting away with it (and therefore reduce their own efforts to create a sense of parity), it all ends in the same place: more underperformance and a potential impact on the workplace culture. I developed SOLVE, a leadership problem-solving model, to deal with exactly these sorts of problems: ones that need solving but arent as easy as jumping straight to action. Causes need establishing, options need considering, context needs to be taken into account. In the case of underperformance, the five stages of the SOLVE model would work like this: S State the ProblemTry to express, in 12 sentences, what the problem appears to be and the impact its having. Try to be precise about the behaviour causing concern: “Theyre regularly late with deliverables and hesitant to give their opinion in meetings, which reduces their impact and makes our team look unprepared.” O Open the BoxHere, leaders dig into the problem more deeply, trying to work out why this situation is occurring. I encourage them to do a bit of research, and in this case, research should absolutely include talking to the team member in question to find out whats going on. In the case of underperformance, I would investigate the following areas: Has their workload increased recently, either because youve given them more tasks, or someone else has without your awareness? Are they being asked to do work at a higher level than before? You might not perceive this in the same way they do, so its worth asking them the question. Has anything changed in their personal life? In some country and company cultures, its not appropriate to ask this outright, but there is no harm in a catch-up asking them how things are going in general and seeing if they bring anything up. Are they still finding their work interesting? Has anything changed that may have put their values out of line with the companys or vice versa? Has the level of clarity over whats expected of them changed? If the companys strategy has changed, youre a new manager, or they are working across two projects, they may simply be confused as to what to prioritize and why. L Lay Out Your SolutionBased on what youve discovered, you can now create a workable response. It might be offering clearer priorities, adjusting scope, or helping them to see the value of their work again. Leaders should think hard about what fits the context and the individual. With these very messy leadership problems, there is no such thing as a universal solutionthink about how your organizations size, industry, and status affect which solutions would work. If its a team issue, what impact does your function, size, and sub-culture have? And with regard to the individual involved, how does their background, personality, and experience affect your approach? V Venture ForthHere, leaders start to put their actions into practice while looking out for problems along the way, ready to pivot. It may be that, as the underperformer starts to roll out actions to improve their performance, more factors reveal themselves as being important to take into account. For example, a leader I worked with recently thought that the solution to team disengagement was to increase rewards. However, the very mention of rewards led one team member to start to gripe about how this company thinks you can pay off anyone. It emerged that, even though the team member hadnt previously said it, their disengagement was as a result of feeling bored with the work, rather than feeling unrewarded. The leader focused instead on providing work that team member perceived as more interesting, and their engagement rapidly improved. E Elevate Your LearningThis is about using the new skills and knowledge youve gleaned to generate further positive impacts. For example, if youve learned more about how to help team members manage their workload, can you share this with other leaders who have overstretched teams? I believe, and have seen through my work, that the SOLVE model can make a meaningful difference in handling underperformance (as well as plenty of other types of leadership problems). Leaders I work with on staff underperformance benefit from the encouragement that they should slow down, lay the situation out clearly, and then pick a solution that properly fits their context. They also appreciate being shown, through the Elevate stage, how to make sure that the time theyve taken solving this problem hasnt gone to waste. They have developed skills and approaches that will continue to help them and others in the future. The SOLVE framework allowed one leader I recently worked with to break down precisely why their sub-teams were underperforming, looking at the issue on an individual basis, and come up with targeted solutions. Importantly, they were also able to use their skills to help other leadership teams across the firm, multiplying the impact that their careful handling of underperformance had for their firm. I recommend, if you are keen to deal with an underperformance issue, to work through the five stages and see the positive impact that they can have on your team and, therefore, your leadership.
Category:
E-Commerce
As soon as ChatGPT launched, Odyssey Gohain saw the writing on the wall. The now 27-year-old was working as a marketer in Amsterdam at the time, looking to move into a more senior role when the powerful AI tool started replacing individual tasks, then team membersincluding an older colleague whose career Gohain idolized. I thought maybe in three, four years, I’ll be in her place. And then she got laid off, says Gohain, who was let go soon after herself. After moving back home with her parents in 2023, Gohain started an independent marketing business as a solopreneur. Two years later, she is still earning less than at her previous role, but says the transition has offered other benefits. After that [career] roadblock, I was really struggling to figure out my next step. It felt like I was staring at a blank wall, she says. Now there is more stability. Even though there is not a lot of money in it, there is a confidence that I will get there. Things felt harder before. Ironically, the very technology that threatened Gohains career in the traditional workforce is proving to be a game changer in her new independent venture of assisting startups with their organic marketing strategy. I actually made a few sales through ChatGPT, she says, explaining that the AI platform has come to replace online search. People are searching for my niche on ChatGPT, and I have been seeing a lot of traffic come from it. As young people struggle to kick-start or grow their careers in a stagnant job market, and as the barriers to entry for entrepreneurship continue to plummet, thanks to technology (ironically, the same tech thats turning the workforce on its head), many are taking the leap into solopreneurship. A New Generation With a New Definition of Career Success In a recent survey of 2,300 Americans ages 18 to 34 that was conducted by Citizens, a Rhode Island-based financial institution, only a quarter expressed interest in climbing the corporate ladder. Instead, 67% respondents said they have pursued an entrepreneurial ventureof which more than a third identified as solopreneurs rather than employers or gig workers. There’s a complete redefinition of careers happening among young people, says Mark Valentino, head of business banking at Citizens. They’re redefining what career success looks like, what life success looks like. And they’re stating it in a manner that is more about adventure, flexibility, sustainability, and a quality of life that is goodbut that is not necessarily so tied to monetary success. Valentino explains that values like flexibility, meaning, and work-life balance are often more attainable as an independent business owner than as a traditional employee, especially in the current job market. The barriers to starting a business today are also the lowest they’ve ever been, he says, suggesting one can now register a business and develop a business plan in a matter of minutes online. There’s a little bit of a steer away from traditional corporate America in this generation as well, and theres been more economic barriers in their way, like the cost of college. Economic necessity drives solopreneurship That lack of financial independence is, ironically, also making it easier to start a business, Valentino says, as many are living at home for longer. The fact that they’re staying in the nest a little bit longer than previous generations gives them a little bit of freedom to take more risks, he says. If you are somebody who does have a little bit of support, or can live at home a little bit longer, you can take a little bit of a chance on becoming a solopreneur. According to a recent study conducted by payroll and HR solutions provider Gusto, Gen Z solopreneurs earn, on average, less than $10,000 during their first year, which is 73% less than those who are traditionally employed. By year five, however, average earnings exceed $60,000, or 28% more than their corporate counterparts. After five years, theyre able to really start taking advantage of the financial freedom that solopreneurship offers, says Gusto economist Nich Tremper. They’re able to take their skills to market in a way that allows them to really set their own price. That, he says, is an appealing prospect for a generation that is experiencing significant wage stagnation. People who are just starting out in their careers are dependent on early wage growth and gains to set the course for their overall earning potential later in life, and they do that by moving around to different jobs or getting promotions at their current job, Tremper explains. In a frozen labor market, solopreneurship is an opportunity for people to get that next boost in their income. Its about more than money Like the Citizens survey, however, Gustos data also suggests that this generation is motivated by more than money. According to the survey, 88% of Gen Z solopreneurs were motivated by the opportunity to set their own schedule, compared with 70% among all solopreneurs. Furthermore, 68% wanted to be their own boss, 41% reported being unsatisfied with their current or former job, and 40% said they took the leap to have a positive impact on their community. They really want to define what work means for them, Tremper says. The labor market is pretty frozen, so theyre going out and starting their own thing.
Category:
E-Commerce
The public disclosure of more than 20,000 pages of newly released documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been the subject of much online discourse this week. While the emails themselves are full of damning revelations, particularly regarding Epsteins relationship with President Donald Trump, the internets attention has been caught on another detail. BREAKING: Newly released emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein struggled to compose sentences in English, journalist Tom Elliott posted on X. Why can none of these very rich and powerful men type or spell, journalist Jill Filipovic asked. In case you havent seen it, one such email reads: i want you to realize that that dog that hasnt barked is trump.. [REDACTED] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. police chief. etc. im 75 % there. Thats verbatim. While undoubtedly there are more important things to focus on than Epsteins grasp of the English language, it is, for many, a point of interest. I know that once you get to a certain status, you dont bother with email signatures and salutations, but taking out proper nouns and punctuation is a psychotic power play, one X user wrote. Gagging here trying to read Epstein emails with these unwarranted spaces before every comma and no caps to speak of, another added. Such naked contempt for the reader. Messed up guy no doubt. Epstein isnt the only one who seemingly struggled with email writing. Nearly one in five Americans now turn to AI to help write their emails, making it the most common way people offload to AI in their daily life. ResumeTemplates.coms August 2025 survey found 25% of ChatGPT users can no longer pen emails without it. I never understood why white-collar professionals would need AI to write their emails as if they were that illiterate, another X user wrote. but after reading Jeffrey Epstein write hay Grlmane I thk mebbe wire $30K [REDACTED] girl Mrlago I kinda get it.
Category:
E-Commerce
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