You have been putting it off
It has gone on for months and the rest of the team has noticed.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to manage an underperforming employee fairly
Find the cause, agree a clear standard and review it on a fixed date.
Handling underperformance starts with a specific example, a conversation about causes, and an agreed goal with a review date. The course covers telling ability from behaviour, preparing the conversation, support and when to involve HR, without replacing employment advice.
Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn
Someone on my team is underperforming and I have put off dealing with it for too long. I want to understand what is going wrong, have a fair conversation about it, and know what to do if it does not improve.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Four things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Write the gap as one observable sentence
Original example: "Three of the last five weekly reports arrived after the Monday 10am deadline." Avoid labels such as "careless" or "not committed". If you cannot write the sentence, check whether the expectation was ever made clear.
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Ask about the cause before proposing a fix
Open with: "I've noticed the reports arriving late. What's getting in the way?" Acas distinguishes capability (the ability to do the job) from conduct (behaviour at work), and the cause changes whether training, support or another step fits.
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Agree a measurable target and a date
Original example: "Reports in by Monday 10am for the next six weeks, with a short check-in each Friday. We'll review together on 14 November." Write down any support you agreed, such as training or moving another task.
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Know when to get advice
If informal steps have not worked, if health or disability may be involved, or if dismissal is possible, speak to HR or an employment adviser. Rules differ by country and contract; this page explains principles, not the legal process.
Sources: Acas (UK): problems with an employee's performance; Acas (UK): performance management and setting objectives. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Leadership
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons, sized to your goal
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- What is the performance problem: quality, deadlines, behaviour, or something else?
- How long has it been going on, and have you discussed it with them yet?
- Does your organisation have an HR team or a formal performance process?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You are not sure what is wrong
The work is slipping, but you do not know if it is skill, workload or something personal.
You talked once and nothing changed
The conversation felt fine, then everything carried on as before.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06Is it really underperformance
Comparing the work against an expectation that was actually stated.
Ability or behaviour
Why the cause changes the response, from training to a formal process.
Preparing the conversation
Specific examples, their impact and the question you will open with.
Agreeing a measurable goal
Writing a target, the support offered and a review date.
Reviewing progress
Recognising improvement, naming continued gaps and adjusting support.
When it becomes formal
Records, HR, legal processes and fairness, in outline.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Diagnose before acting
Distinguish ability, unclear expectations, workload and behaviour as causes.
Hold a fair conversation
Describe a specific gap and agree what good looks like.
Follow through
Set a review date, record what was agreed and know when to involve HR.
Ideas this course corrects
Waiting will let it fix itself
Unaddressed gaps tend to grow, and the person loses time they could have used to improve.
A performance conversation is a disciplinary
An early conversation can be informal and aimed at understanding the cause. Formal procedures are a separate step with their own rules.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to manage an underperforming employee fairly: what can I do today?
Write the gap as one observable sentence. Original example: "Three of the last five weekly reports arrived after the Monday 10am deadline." Avoid labels such as "careless" or "not committed". If you cannot write the sentence, check whether the expectation was ever made clear. Ask about the cause before proposing a fix. Open with: "I've noticed the reports arriving late. What's getting in the way?" Acas distinguishes capability (the ability to do the job) from conduct (behaviour at work), and the cause changes whether training, support or another step fits. Agree a measurable target and a date. Original example: "Reports in by Monday 10am for the next six weeks, with a short check-in each Friday. We'll review together on 14 November." Write down any support you agreed, such as training or moving another task. Know when to get advice. If informal steps have not worked, if health or disability may be involved, or if dismissal is possible, speak to HR or an employment adviser. Rules differ by country and contract; this page explains principles, not the legal process.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Handling underperformance starts with a specific example, a conversation about causes, and an agreed goal with a review date. The course covers telling ability from behaviour, preparing the conversation, support and when to involve HR, without replacing employment advice. It sits under Leadership in the Work & ambitions part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Courses run 7 to 30 lessons of about 10 minutes, sized to what you asked for. One lesson a day is the intended pace, and you can go faster. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
The sentence to type
Someone on my team is underperforming and I have put off dealing with it for too long. I want to understand what is going wrong, have a fair conversation about it, and know what to do if it does not improve.