Struggling With Team Performance? Here’s What Great Leaders Do Differently

Key Takeaways

• Make performance management a daily habit: Ongoing support beats once-a-year reviews.
• Set clear, tailored expectations: Specific goals improve focus and accountability.
• Fix processes, not just people: Recurring issues often point to system flaws.
• Use feedback to build trust: Frequent, clear feedback keeps teams aligned.
• Coach individuals, not job titles: Motivation differs, so your approach should too.

Your Team Is Hitting Goals but Still Struggling? Here Is Why

A team is meeting its targets, but turnover is on the rise. Another is delivering work on time, yet collaboration is breaking down. The data appears to be fine, but something is not quite right. What’s missing is effective performance management. Without it, even the best tools and processes fall short.

Stop Relying on Annual Reviews: How to Lead Performance Every Day

Effective performance management focuses on development and provides support continuously, not just once a year. Goals shift quickly, and employees need timely, practical guidance to stay on track.

Proper performance management is:

• Ongoing, not limited to a quarterly or annual review cycle
• Focused on outcomes and development, not just metrics
• Aligned with team goals, organizational strategy, and individual purpose

Performance management is not about fixing poor performers; it’s about developing them to their full potential. It’s about creating an environment where everyone knows what success looks like, gets help when needed, and feels motivated to improve.

For example, instead of saving feedback for a formal review, a manager might hold 15-minute monthly check-ins that focus on growth, not just metrics. These conversations provide employees with the opportunity to course-correct in real-time.

Vague Goals Hurt Results: How to Set Expectations That Drive Performance

Teams perform better when expectations are clear. Without them, people struggle to stay focused or accountable. When success is well defined, teams are more aligned and perform more consistently.

Here is how leaders create alignment:

• Use SMART goals that tie directly to business outcomes
• Translate vague terms into clear, specific actions
• Define expected behaviors like collaboration and time management
• Adapt goals to each person’s role, strengths, and style

Remote teams need clear expectations, proactive communication, and routine feedback. Without face-to-face cues, minor issues grow. Tools like dashboards and Microsoft Teams check-ins help teams stay aligned and focused.

Setting expectations is not a one-time task; it requires ongoing adjustment to stay aligned. As roles shift and goals evolve, leaders must revisit and reinforce them to keep teams aligned. However, even strong expectations can fall apart if team dynamics or structure are not in place.

Missed Deadlines Aren’t Always a People Problem

When deadlines slip, it is easy to blame people. But recurring delays often signal process breakdowns, not performance issues. That is why leaders must learn to spot early signals.

Leaders should watch for:

• Recurring miscommunication or missed handoffs
• Role confusion, especially after reorgs or rapid scaling
• Sudden drops in output across multiple roles
• Avoidance of tough topics in meetings

Tools that help:

• Team charters to clarify roles, shared goals, and norms
• RACI charts to define ownership and support across tasks
• Retrospectives to uncover friction points after major projects
• 360-degree feedback to surface unseen issues

Leadership alone is not enough. When aligned with strong processes and the right tools, performance management becomes a team-wide system, not a solo burden.

When leaders view performance problems as team-wide symptoms, rather than individual flaws, they address the correct issue. This approach establishes a stronger foundation for providing helpful feedback and fostering growth.

The Feedback Fix: How to Build Trust and Improve Performance

People want feedback when it helps them grow and develop. If it’s late or vague, it feels more like blame. Feedback delivery impacts trust, motivation, and results. High-performing teams use it regularly to stay on track.

The best teams do not wait for quarterly reviews. They utilize visual cues and tools to facilitate the flow of feedback. A burndown chart, for instance, can help agile teams track progress without micromanaging.

Effective performance feedback:

• Happens frequently through check-ins, retrospectives, and peer conversations
• Uses dashboards and indicators for visibility, not micromanagement
• Focuses on blockers, effort, and behavior rather than just final results
• Follows the SBI model: Situation, Behavior, Impact

Example: “In Monday’s meeting (Situation), you dismissed a teammate’s idea without explanation (Behavior), which shut down further discussion (Impact). Next time, can you ask clarifying questions instead?”

Feedback should be timely, specific, and two-way. Peer recognition also reinforces what’s working and strengthens team culture.

When feedback becomes a habit, not a surprise, performance improves without fear. This feedback lays the groundwork for managing the full performance spectrum, including challenges and standout contributions.

Keep Top Performers Engaged and Strugglers Supported

Not all performance issues are negative, and not all need the same approach. Some team members need support, while others need new challenges to stay engaged. Strong leaders address both early to prevent problems and maintain momentum.

In hybrid teams, struggles and boredom are easier to miss. Without daily visibility, team members can quietly fall behind or lose motivation. Leaders need to stay proactive, not reactive.

For struggling team members:

• Identify the issue as a skill gap, a motivation issue, or a system breakdown?
• Restate expectations with examples and context
• Build a short-term improvement plan with milestones
• Check in regularly and offer coaching, not just tracking

For high performers:

• Provide stretch assignments and leadership opportunities
• Connect their work to career growth or strategic goals
• Ask for their ideas on improving team processes
• Watch for signs of burnout and rebalance workload if needed

For example, a top performer was at risk of leaving due to a lack of challenge and opportunities for growth. Giving her a cross-functional mentorship role kept her engaged. Leaders who intervene early help struggling employees get back on track and show high performers they are valued before problems grow.

Organizations that focus on performance see 30% higher revenue growth and lower attrition. (McKinsey)

One-Size Coaching Doesn’t Work and Here’s What Does

Motivation is different for everyone. What inspires one person may fall flat with another, which is why one-size coaching rarely works. Leaders who understand what drives each team member are better able to support growth and build lasting engagement.

Steps to personalize:

• Ask directly what motivates each team member and what drains them
• Use tools like DiSC, CliftonStrengths, or internal assessments to understand work styles
• Adapt coaching style and feedback delivery accordingly
• Recognize personal factors such as a big move, family illness, or burnout signs, and show empathy

One person may thrive on public praise, another prefers private feedback. Great leaders adjust to build stronger, more resilient relationships.

Motivated teams are shaped by leaders who coach with context and care.

The Conversation You’re Avoiding Might Be the One That Fixes Everything

Difficult conversations are a part of the role, but they don’t have to harm relationships. When handled with clarity and respect, they build trust and lead to better outcomes. Avoiding them creates confusion and delays progress. Leaders who address issues early keep teams moving.

A successful approach:

• Prepare with data and intent. Know what you want to change
• Use “I” statements and avoid assumptions
• Ask open questions and give space for response
• Close with clear next steps and a timeline

Conversation examples:

• “I noticed your reports have been late for the last three weeks. What is getting in the way?”
• “The way that meeting went created tension. Can we talk about what happened?”

If you’re nervous, script your opener to stay focused.

These conversations make expectations feel consistent and fair. They also clear the air, allowing teams to move forward. The ability to hold respectful, direct conversations is what separates reactive managers from effective leaders.

Why Your Culture May Be Quietly Killing Performance

High performance depends on culture as much as it does on outcomes. Teams thrive when accountability, learning, and ownership are built into their culture. Leaders shape that culture by reinforcing the habits and systems that help teams succeed. A strong culture turns high performance into a daily standard.

Ways to build it:

• Normalize feedback as a team practice, not just a manager task
• Celebrate wins and analyze failures without blame
• Use a mix of individual and team-level performance metrics
• Keep lightweight records of goals and conversations
• Apply the same standards to everyone, including leadership

When leaders avoid feedback or accountability, it signals that standards are optional. That erodes trust and weakens culture.

Psychological safety enables teams to take ownership, share ideas, and remain engaged. When feedback is fair and focused on growth, performance tends to improve.

When performance is part of team identity, leaders no longer need to push. The team carries it forward.

How Leaders Create the Conditions for Team Growth and Lasting Performance

Proactive leaders do not wait for burnout. They check in often, ask thoughtful questions, and model the behaviors they expect When expectations are clear, support is tailored, and the culture reinforces learning and accountability, performance becomes sustainable.

Do team members come to you with questions and ideas, or only when there is a problem? That reveals whether you manage performance reactively or proactively. Long-term success comes from leading for growth every day, not measuring it once a year.

Want your teams to thrive? Watermark Learning offers leadership development and performance-focused training that helps teams grow stronger and more aligned.

Stronger teams start with stronger leaders. Build the skills and tools to make performance improvement part of your culture.