Address Performance Challenges Without Getting Personal

When it comes to performance management, most managers are comfortable tackling technical underperformance. Missed deadlines or incomplete reports come with data, metrics, and clear outcomes. Performance challenges, however, feels less tangible and far more personal. Addressing it can be awkward and, in many cases, avoided entirely.

But sidestepping these conversations doesn’t make the problem go away. In fact, unresolved behavioral issues can erode team performance, morale, and efficiency. To overcome this challenge, managers need a structured approach that focuses on business impact and uses SMARTER goals to drive real change.

Behavioral feedback often feels like a critique of the person rather than their work. A manager might worry that setting a behavioral goal will come across as, "There’s something wrong with you." This fear can cause managers to avoid the topic, hoping the behavior will improve on its own.

Unfortunately, avoidance usually leads to frustration. The behavior continues to disrupt team dynamics and performance, while the manager becomes increasingly resentful.

The truth is that most managers don’t avoid these conversations because they’re unaware of the problem. They avoid them because they’re unsure how to approach the issue without making it personal.

Behavioral changes require structure and clarity, which is where SMARTER goals come into play. These goals ensure that both manager and employee have a clear understanding of what’s expected and how success will be measured.

• Specific: Clearly define the behavior that needs to change and spell out what success looks like.
• Measurable: Establish criteria for tracking progress.
• Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic.
• Relevant: Connect the behavior to broader business objectives.
• Time-bound: Set a deadline for achieving the goal.
• Evaluated: Schedule regular times to review progress and provide feedback.
• Revised: Adjust the goal as necessary to reflect ongoing developments.

Alex is a highly detailed employee. He often dives deep into specifics during team meetings, losing sight of the broader discussion. While this trait can be valuable in certain contexts, it has become a bottleneck for the team, delaying decisions and frustrating colleagues.

The manager recognizes the need for Alex to adopt a more big-picture approach. Here’s a SMARTER goal they set:

Goal: Over the next three months, during team meetings, engage in discussion at a level that aligns with both the audience's needs and the discussion's objectives.

Time-Bound Milestones:

• Initially:  Establish a cue or keyword that the manager and Alex can use to signal when Alex is delving too deeply into the details.
• End of Month 1: Alex will research and present a communication model to the team that highlights various discussion levels. This will help set team expectations for identifying and engaging at the appropriate level.
• End of  Month 2: Alex will identify discussions where they’ve faced challenges recognizing or engaging appropriately. Schedule weekly meetings with the manager to review these instances, discuss strategies for improvement, and gain actionable feedback. Schedule weekly meetings with the manager to discuss challenges and receive feedback and guidance.
• End of Month 3: Alex will assess his own contributions and performance. In meetings where he finds it difficult to determine the appropriate level of discussion, he will reflect on the experience and share insights or alternative approaches during weekly discussions with his manager.
• Month 4 and Beyond: Alex is capable of contributing at the appropriate level while continuing to seek guidance from the manager when necessary.

You may wonder how the manager even built this goal with Alex in the first place. How can a manager frame a conversation without putting an employee on the defensive? Start with Self-Determination Theory.

For Alex to fully engage with this goal, the manager leverages self-determination theory (SDT). SDT is a psychological framework for understanding motivation. It emphasizes the role of intrinsic motivation - which are activities we do because they are satisfying in themselves, rather than due to external rewards or pressures.  We can increase intrinsic motivation, which includes getting employees to support and strive toward goals by using SDT during a goal conversation.

Key Components of SDT:

• Autonomy: We all need to feel in control of our behavior and goals. When employees feel they have control over some of their work and the ability to make some decisions regarding their work, they have a sense of autonomy.
• Competence: We all need to feel effective and capable of achieving desired outcomes. This is why challenging but achievable goals are so important.
• Relatedness: Humans want to feel connected to others and a sense of belonging.

Remember our detail oriented employee Alex? Let's review how SDT shows up when he and his manager discuss his need for behavioral change.

• Autonomy: Alex is encouraged to brainstorm his own strategies for staying focused on broader objectives, which gives him ownership of the process.
• Competence: The manager emphasizes how mastering big-picture thinking will enhance Alex’s ability to lead discussions and make impactful contributions.
• Relatedness: The manager frames the goal as a way to strengthen team collaboration, something Alex values deeply.

By aligning the goal with Alex’s intrinsic motivations, the manager ensures it feels both meaningful and attainable. Managers must understand what drives their employees before addressing behavioral goals. If you’re unsure what motivates someone, just ask!

An objective aligned with what matters to an employee will resonate with them, leading to genuine buy-in from the employee. Otherwise, the employee may appear to go along with the behavioral goal, while writing it off as some useless suggestion made by the boss.

Even with a well-framed goal, employees may initially resist behavioral objectives, especially if they don’t see their relevance. To address this, managers should:

• Tie the goal to tangible outcomes: Explain how the change will positively impact both the team and the individual.
• Collaborate on the timeline: Work together to set a realistic deadline, ensuring the goal feels attainable.
• Provide consistent feedback: Use regular 1:1s to track progress, troubleshoot challenges, and celebrate small wins.

By fostering open communication and demonstrating support, managers can help employees move past resistance and fully engage with their development goals.

Behavioral goals require ongoing attention. Regular 1:1 meetings provide an opportunity to review progress, discuss challenges, and adjust the goal as needed. These check-ins also reinforce the collaborative nature of the process, showing the employee that their growth is a shared priority. And with miviva’s AI-powered feedback and comment tools built into 1:1 agendas, you can fine-tune your message and ensure the tone is just right before sharing it with an employee.

Addressing behavioral underperformance may feel daunting, but it’s a crucial aspect of effective leadership. By focusing on business impact, setting SMARTER goals, and tapping into intrinsic motivations through self-determination theory, managers can guide employees toward meaningful growth.

Behavioral goals aren’t just about improving individual performance—they’re about building stronger, more cohesive teams. With the right approach, managers can turn uncomfortable conversations into opportunities for lasting change.

• Learn about how continuous feedback builds engagement
• Discover the ROI of performance management
• Listen to our podcast about effective 1:1s