7th May, 2024

What to Do When a Colleague isn’t Pulling Their Weight

With Dr Clare Sieber

Photo of Dr Clare Sieber

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On this episode

Performance management might sound like a daunting phrase, and something we’d probably all rather avoid. It can come with conflict and discomfort, but when someone on your team isn’t pulling their weight, it’s not only demoralising for the rest of the team, but detrimental to the person in question.

In this episode, GP and mediator Dr Clare Sieber explains how the SBI (Situation, Behaviour, Impact) framework can help reframe feedback to make it less personal. She also lays out how team leaders can make sure they’re giving enough feedback, and how team members can co-create an environment where everyone can discuss performance openly.

If performance management isn’t put into practice, workplaces can become toxic environments where everyone knows someone isn’t pulling their weight, but no-one speaks up. This can hamper performance and lower job satisfaction.

High-functioning teams enable everyone to speak up, challenge each-other, and share their mistakes and learning. And it all starts with giving feedback.

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About the guests

Dr Clare Sieber photo

Reasons to listen

  • To learn how to depersonalise negative feedback and reduce conflict in the workplace.
  • To discover how to bring about a culture of open communication and feedback within your team.
  • To understand the importance of regular performance management and its impact on team morale and individual job satisfaction.

Episode highlights

00:06:44

Making performance feedback less personal

00:12:18

Performance managing without an official role

00:13:03

Psychological safety in teams

00:18:45

Building trust within a team

00:23:11

When negative feedback might be triggering

00:29:57

How feedback can strengthen relationships

00:35:34

Moving to formal performance management

00:40:33

Creating role clarity

00:45:57

Clare’s top tips

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: Hands up who’s scared of performance management. Or even just telling a colleague that their work’s not up to scratch. These two birds carry a lot of weight. If you work in medicine and none of us wants to invite conflict into the workplace. What happens if you give someone negative feedback that’s triggering for them? Or what if a partner isn’t putting their weight? Or you don’t feel like you can offer any criticism? [00:00:22] This week, I’m speaking with Dr. Clare Sieber, a GP who now specializes in mediation and performance management. We covered ways that…

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