Handle Underperformance — Engineering Leadership, Part 6
Updated: Oct 4
This is the hardest tech lead conversation. Done well: they improve or move on with their dignity. Done poorly: they leave bitter; team suffers.
Step 1: Diagnose Before Action (15 min)
"Underperforming" can be:
Skills gap — they don't know how
Motivation drop — life events, burnout
Wrong role fit — they'd thrive elsewhere
Team / environment issue — broken process; bad assignment
Personal issues — health, family
Each needs different response.
Spend time understanding before acting. A "fix" without diagnosis often makes it worse.
Step 2: Be Specific About the Problem (10 min)
Vague:
✗ "Your output has been low."
Specific:
✓ "In the last 3 sprints, you've shipped 2 tickets. The team
average is 4. The Q2 OKR ticket you owned hasn't progressed."
Specific = actionable. Vague = defensive.
Step 3: Have the First Conversation Soon (10 min)
Don't wait until quarter-end review.
"I've noticed [specific pattern]. I want to understand what's
going on and figure out how to help."
Open. Curious. Not punitive.
The earlier you catch it, the more options exist.
Step 4: Listen First (10 min)
"What's been going on?"
"Where are you stuck?"
"What's the team / process not giving you?"
You might learn:
Personal crisis
Skills gap they hid
Bad project fit
Conflict with another team member
The "underperformance" might be a symptom. Treat the cause.
Step 5: Make Expectations Concrete (15 min)
"For the next 4 weeks, I need:
- Owning the [X] feature; shipping by Aug 15
- Active in code review; at least 3/week
- Communicating blockers early"
Specific. Measurable. Bounded.
Without this, "be better" is unfair to them and useless to you.
Step 6: Provide Support (10 min)
Don't just set expectations; help meet them:
Pair them with a stronger engineer
Reduce scope to fit current capacity
Provide training / time for skill gaps
Adjust around personal circumstances
Underperformance + no support = setting them up to fail.
Step 7: Document Everything (10 min)
For your own clarity and HR if it escalates:
2027-06-25 1:1
- Discussed ticket throughput; 2 vs. team avg 4
- Alice mentioned overwhelm with new feature area
- Plan: pair with Bob for 2 weeks; reduce scope to one ticket
- Re-check Jul 9
Documented. Specific. Date-stamped.
If improvement happens — you have a story of investment. If not — you have evidence for the next step.
Step 8: Escalate When Needed (15 min)
If after the support + plan + re-check, things haven't improved:
Loop in your manager / HR
Discuss PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) options
Consider role / team fit
PIPs are loaded. Sometimes appropriate; sometimes a path to managed exit.
Honesty: a PIP rarely saves someone unless they were unaware of expectations.
Step 9: The Hardest Conversation (10 min)
If it ends in separation:
Be direct; don't waffle
Specific about what didn't work
Treat them with dignity
Help with transition (references; advice)
Don't ghost. Don't drag on. Don't let HR do all the talking.
Sometimes parting ways is the right outcome — for them too. A bad fit is bad for everyone.
Step 10: Reflect (5 min)
After (success or separation):
What did I see late?
What patterns might repeat?
What process change would help next time?
You'll have multiple of these in a career. Each one teaches.
What You Just Did
Underperformance handling: diagnose, specific, early conversation, listen, expectations, support, document, escalate, hardest conversation, reflect. The leadership skill nobody enjoys.
Common Failure Modes
Avoid the conversation. Problem grows; team resents.
Vague feedback. "You need to improve" — improve what?
No support; only expectations. Punitive. Doesn't work.
Surprise PIP / firing. Without prior conversations, perceived as ambush.
Drag it on for months. Bad for them; bad for team.
Part of the Engineering Leadership guide — ShiftQuality's complete map to leading engineers.
