No Improvement Means No Job
- Ross Paterson
- May 1
- 1 min read
If your next move after an underperforming employee asks to stay is hoping their behavior magically improves from one hard conversation, you are wasting your time. You need a formal Turnaround Plan.
We ran this framework recently with a $100M commercial construction firm. A C-suite executive (and close friend of the owner) was destroying the culture by belittling and screaming at his team in the vein of “getting things done”. He chose to stay, but a vague promise to "be nicer" wasn't going to fix the trauma he caused. He needed consistent, measured change. Here is the formal, sit-down Round 1 Conversation playbook:
Review the Org Chart: Are they in the right role? If their strengths belong elsewhere, move them.
Cast the Vision: Remind them where the company is going. If they aren't bought in, they won't care about what happens next.
Give Specific Feedback & Stop Talking: Tell them exactly what expectation(s) they are failing to meet and why. Then give them the opportunity to think, process, and/or reply.
Assess the Reaction: Look for red flags in their response. You can save yourself lots of time if you know how to identify coachable or uncoachable behavior.
After you work together to build out a 30-60-90 Day plan with measurable milestones, both of you should sign it and schedule check-ins in advance. Get our Performance Review template for reference HERE.
Elevating someone’s head and heart is possible, but they have to want it just as much as you do (or more so). The change happens through a mechanical process of setting clear, written standards and enforcing them.
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