5 subtle (and not so subtle) signs that you have a performance problem with a staff member.

Do you have a nagging feeling that one of your team members isn't quite performing but you're not sure you have solid enough ground to act on it? Have you ever looked back and realised that a people problem which cost you dearly was visible months before it became a crisis? If managing performance feels like one of the hardest parts of running a growing firm, this episode is for you.I share what I've learned from my own costly mistakes in people management - including a situation where my hands-off approach contributed to losing around £50k of business and an employee who quietly fell apart while I kept my distance. In this episode, I talk through the mental checklist I now use whenever I sense a potential performance issue, so you can spot the warning signs early and act before the damage is done.What you'll learn in the podcast episode:- Why setting clear expectations - performance objectives, KPIs, up-to-date job descriptions - is the foundation of any performance conversation, and the simple litmus test to check if yours are clear enough- How your own management style may be contributing to underperformance, and why flexing your approach to suit individual team members is your responsibility, not theirs- The difference between a team member who says all the right things and one who actually delivers - and why actions, not words, are the only reliable measure- How to spot the "cherry picking" trap, where a staff member does the parts of their role they enjoy and avoids the rest- Why tolerating a dysfunctional star - someone brilliant in some areas but damaging in others - will eventually poison your business culture from the inside- What an unexpected drop in performance or change in behaviour is really telling you, and how to approach that conversation with an open mindRelated episodesAre you being gaslit by clients or staff? How to spot and stop it https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/are-you-being-gaslit-by-clients-orThe day I found out that my team were b*tching about me in a private WhatsApp channel https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/the-day-i-found-out-that-my-teamHow to finally have the conversation you’ve been too scared to have https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/4-things-to-do-before-the-conversationThey sent me an email apologising for “breaking my business” (and this is how I recovered) https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/they-sent-me-an-email-apologisingWhat to do when your team wouldn’t step up https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/what-to-do-when-your-team-wouldntThis question could solve your frustrations with scaling your business https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/why-its-time-to-become-the-leastUseful links:- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown UpWelcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth ClubEach episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again. Get full access to Start Up To Grown Up at startuptogrownup.substack.com/subscribe