Fixing Underperforming Teams
Diagnose the root cause of dysfunction and take decisive action to restore high performance.
The Guide
5 key steps synthesized from 5 experts.
Execute a Neutral Observation Phase
Spend a defined period gathering facts by sitting in meetings, reviewing documents, and interviewing team members. Distinguish between superficial symptoms and the single most impactful root cause before making any changes. Focus on collecting data rather than jumping to solutions immediately.
Featured guest perspectives
"Start by collecting facts. Ask questions, listen and observe the team. Come in with an open mind, and focus on getting crystal clear on what’s working with the team, and what isn’t."— Lenny Rachitsky
Audit Structural and Strategic Alignment
Investigate whether the underlying organizational structure or role definitions are creating friction. Check if chronic misalignment is caused by a missing product strategy rather than poor work ethic. Ensure the team has a clear vision and the necessary resources to succeed.
Featured guest perspectives
"I found this framework travels with me. It's got these five components to it, vision, skills, incentives, resources, action plan, and you need all of those to have change. And then within those buckets you've got to figure out what are the right levers that you need to pull? What are the things that are missing?"— Bangaly Kaba
Evaluate Leadership Complicity and Coaching
Reflect on how your own behavior contributes to team issues by asking the complicity question. Diagnose if skip leads are properly coaching their managers or if they are failing to evaluate direct reports accurately. Address the root cause of manager-related friction at the leadership level.
Featured guest perspectives
"In fact, I believe strongly that all manager challenges are either directly or indirectly about the skip lead. Instead of placing all the burden on the manager, we need to shift our analytic lens upward, onto the skip."— Lenny Rachitsky
"Even though the skip leader subconsciously (or even explicitly) knows that the line manager is struggling, confronting the issue head-on is hard—especially as a new skip. So the natural inclination is to quietly solve the issue themselves, pull double duty by taking on part of the line manager’s job, and then provide cover for the direct-report manager’s performance with others."— Lenny Rachitsky
Make Decisive Talent Decisions
Categorize individual issues into skill, will, or environment to decide on coaching, moving, or removal. Use the Enthusiastic Rehire Test to gain clarity on difficult personnel choices. Identify individuals whose performance consistently slows down the rest of the team and move toward a high-velocity standard.
Featured guest perspectives
"Every time that you hire someone new, mark your calendars for 30 days down the road and ask yourself one question, knowing what I know today, would I hire this person? If the answer is no, fire them immediately."— Uri Levine
"There are only three reasons why things do not happen the way you want them to happen as a leader. You can look at a person, and you would say either that person can't do, which is a capability issue, or they won't do, which is a motivation or an alignment issue, or they were not set up to do, which is really your problem that you didn't set up the ways of working now design properly."— Anuj Rathi
Implement High-Quality Standards
Set a high bar for quality and refuse to settle for superficial changes. Communicate clearly with upper management about reduced short-term business impact during the turnaround. Deliver necessary feedback and termination news personally to maintain high organizational integrity.
Featured guest perspectives
"The risk that you take on (of failing, of slowing down your career by being bogged down on a sub-par team) is also the fuel that catapults your career forward if you can pull this off. My advice is to lean into this opportunity. Show your team, your manager, and your peers that they can count on you to make difficult decisions, create necessary change, and deliver impact in tough situations."— Lenny Rachitsky
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Guest Perspectives
Deep dive into what 4 podcast guests shared about fixing underperforming teams.
Anuj Rathi
"There are only three reasons why things do not happen the way you want them to happen as a leader. You can look at a person, and you would say either that person can't do, which is a capability issue, or they won't do, which is a motivation or an alignment issue, or they were not set up to do, which is really your problem that you didn't set up the ways of working now design properly."
- Determine if a 'can't do' issue requires coaching, mentoring, or moving the person to a role better suited to their capabilities.
- Investigate 'won't do' issues by checking for a lack of alignment with the vision or competing time commitments.
- Reflect on your leadership to ensure you have designed the necessary 'ways of working' and infrastructure for the team to succeed.
Bangaly Kaba
"I found this framework travels with me. It's got these five components to it, vision, skills, incentives, resources, action plan, and you need all of those to have change. And then within those buckets you've got to figure out what are the right levers that you need to pull? What are the things that are missing?"
- Audit failing initiatives against the five components of change: vision, skills, incentives, resources, and action plan.
- Identify the specific missing component to determine the correct leadership lever to pull.
- Address structural issues like misaligned incentives or inadequate resources to unblock team progress.
Christina Wodtke
"So, I say OKRs are more of a vitamin, they're not a medicine. So, if you take OKRs and you're like, 'Oh, this will fix everything that's wrong with you.' No, that's not going to happen. It's just going to reveal everything that's wrong with your company."
- Verify that your team has psychological safety and a clear strategy before blaming a failed goal-setting process.
- Look for 'peanut buttering'—where teams do 1% on dozens of tasks—as a symptom of a failure to prioritize.
- Focus on getting foundational elements like empowered teams and strategy right before layering on OKRs.
Uri Levine
"Every time that you hire someone new, mark your calendars for 30 days down the road and ask yourself one question, knowing what I know today, would I hire this person? If the answer is no, fire them immediately."
- Set a calendar reminder to evaluate every new hire exactly 30 days after they start.
- Ask honestly if you would still hire the individual knowing what you know today.
- Fire underperforming employees immediately if the answer is no.
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