Why poor performers stay too long and how to fix it

On this episode of Lessons in Leadership, Dave Anderson, President of LearnToLead, breaks down the 18th trait in his 21 traits for high-performance cultures: fire fast.

The foundation of this trait begins long before any termination decision is made, Anderson says. Organizations that make hiring extremely difficult rarely find themselves needing to remove poor performers on a regular basis.

When the right people are brought in from the start, poor performance becomes the exception rather than the rule. 

Anderson’s philosophy centers on hiring slower and firing faster, but only within a system where standards are clearly defined. With that in place, he says, underperforming employees don’t need to be pushed out. They know where they need to be and by when, and if they fall short, the outcome isn’t a surprise.

The breakdown tends to happen in organizations where standards lack definition, Anderson argues. In those environments, leaders hesitate, accountability stalls, and the wrong people stay in their roles far longer than they should.

"If we want faster accountability, we need more clear clarity, faster feedback, and swifter consequences for those not getting the job done."

Anderson points to three elements that make this trait work in practice:

• Clearly defined standards that leave no room for interpretation
• Timely feedback that addresses performance gaps before they become entrenched
• Consistent consequences when those standards are not met.

Together, these create an environment where accountability is built into the culture rather than left to individual managers to enforce.

Moreover, Anderson frames the departure of a poor performer as a decision the employee ultimately makes for themselves. In high-performance cultures, no one is blindsided by a termination. He contends that the standards are set, the feedback is ongoing, and those who cannot meet expectations have, in effect, made their own exit.

Anderson’s book, Elevate Your Excellence, is also available on Amazon and LearnToLead.com.