An underperforming team is a drain on an organization and a direct reflection of the manager who oversees it. When team members don’t perform to their potential, you have to diagnose the issue and employ the correct remedy to turn them around. Naturally, you want your team to perform at its best. That is why it’s imperative that you know the warning signs that may indicate a drop in performance.

Engagement Levels Drop

If you’ve noticed disengagement among your employees, it’s only a matter of time until you see a dip in their overall performance. A lack of engagement—phone calls, emails, and text messages going unanswered or not being responded to in a timely manner—indicates that your employees may be uninterested in their work. However, it may also mean that they have their heads down trying to complete a large project. The only way to know for sure is to engage with them and not wait for them to engage with you.

Work Quality Declines

Another obvious sign that your team isn’t performing at its best is a drop in the work quality. If your employees are bothered or disengaged, there will come a time when they’re no longer fully committed to their jobs. You’ll notice an increase in errors, sloppiness and a lack of finesse, and an overall drop in work quality.

Everyone makes mistakes. However, if there seems to be a pattern of careless errors and missed deadlines, it’s a sign your team may be underperforming.

Productivity Decreases

If your team is no longer meeting target goals, frequently missing deadlines, or using inefficient practices to get the work done, there’s going to be a drop in your company’s productivity. This is another common sign indicating underperformance.

You know something’s amiss when your team is unable to fulfill goals or deliver the level of productivity it previously used to. It’s one thing if this happens during a stressful period, but if there’s been a consistent drop in productivity, your team is underperforming.

Fixing the Damage

So, what can you do to turn things around? Make sure you have good leadership.

As a manager, you need to monitor progress by making sure you have access to the best project management platforms for your company (Check out Capterra for software evaluations.). Make your presence felt, but if your team is self-motivated, don’t interrupt the flow of progress—figure out ways to enable it. Hold regular status meetings to get updates on milestones, goals, and whether there are ways you can help remove obstacles.

Don’t be afraid to make impromptu checkup calls just to see how things are going. If you see a delay somewhere, find out with whom the delay is occurring and address them one on one—never call out someone in public, because you don’t know why there’s a holdup. Personal issues could be the cause, but never assume that you know without doing some due diligence.

A strong and competent leader can help your team power through the worst of times, keep them motivated and driven throughout, and create a positive workplace culture to ensure optimal performance.

Brookwoods Group is a Top executive search firms in Texas that helps organizations hire the right leaders and managers. If you’re trying to fill a managerial role at your company, contact our Executive recruiter Austin today. We’ll be happy to help you find the right professionals for your organization.