In business, during an average day, if you spend more than 10 minutes talking about an underperforming staff member, you have a problem.

Ignoring it will not address the problem. Talking more about it will not. Distracting yourself will not. Writing another process or policy will not. Delegating it to HR will not.

As a leader in your business, you must have the conversation with that person. As soon as you can. As balanced as you can. As effectively as you can.

Applying the Stephen Covey principle, ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood’, open the discussion by outlining what you have noticed, and asking for the staff member’s perspective on why it’s happening. Explore their explanation until you understand how they see it.

Once you have their perspective and additional facts, and assuming you have your facts straight, now it’s time to make yourself understood. Outline what you want instead, and how you need them to behave.

Finally, ask for their commitment to behaving that way, and then make sure you diarise or document the discussion and their commitment. Promise to follow up in a week or two to see how things are progressing, then catch them doing something right.