How to Help Employees Who Are Off Their Game

Most companies know that they are only as good as the talent within their organization, but keeping employees at the top of their game can be a challenge. Even the biggest and brightest stars have bad days and it can be difficult to bounce back.

There's also the added problem that many employees who are incredibly motivated and driven may be reluctant to come forward and ask for support to get back on top. This can make it incredibly difficult for companies to step in and help.

But there are ways that employers can put professionals back on the path to success.

Performance management

Implementing performance management software can help managers and other business leaders to identify the individuals who may be struggling on any team at any time. The earlier you can spot a problem, the easier and more straightforward it is to rectify so having this insight into the workforce can be an extremely valuable tool.

Another benefit of performance management is that you can set different parameters so it won't just highlight employees who are struggling in just one area. For example, if you’re worried about the level of collaboration or communication happening between teams, you can set metrics to measure this with your performance management system.

Goal setting

A sure-fire way to get employees back on track is to refresh their goals. It may be they have long surpassed their targets or feel they are well out of reach, either way, this can lead to demotivation.

Encouraging managers to have regular development meetings with every professional will help keep people driven and hopefully get stragglers back on track. These sessions can also be a good opportunity to see whether they could diversify or expand their skills in any way. Often employees can fall off their game when they feel their role has stagnated and talking about new directions for them can give them a much-needed boost.

Encourage open dialogues

To get the most out of your workforce, it's important that your performance management scheme includes regular, honest conversations with employees. This can be part of their 1-2-1 development meetings but also needs to be a part of your company culture. You need to ensure that everyone feels comfortable discussing their shortfalls and struggles without the fear of negative consequences arising.

Everyone has issues with some element of their job at some point during their career. Having top-level managers and other professionals share their workplace problems and pain points can be a great way to train employees and get them back to their full potential.

You can also arrange for troubleshooting workshops, where people bring a current or previous problem and work as part of a group to try and come up with solutions. This makes the issue less isolating and ensures professionals know there's a support system in the company if they are struggling.