In the challenging terrain of leadership and management, encountering underperformance within a team is a common scenario. For those who adhere to Stoic philosophy, navigating these situations with Stoic leadership requires a unique blend of practical wisdom, emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of human nature.

So, how does a Stoic leader effectively handle the poor performance of someone on the team?

Observation and Analysis

It all starts with the understanding of what’s going on. Observation and a reasoned analysis are the key.

Assess The Situation Objectively – Before taking any action, you should first seek to understand the situation objectively. This involves gathering facts about the team member’s performance without allowing personal biases or emotions to cloud judgment.

Understand The Bigger Picture – Recognizing that there are often underlying reasons for underperformance, such as personal issues or skill gaps, is essential. Stoicism teaches empathy and understanding, not harsh judgment.

Use Self-Reflection – You must also introspect to see if your actions or the work environment have contributed to the situation. Have you provided adequate resources, training, and support? Sometimes, the team’s underperformance is caused by the manager not providing clear direction or, worse, not providing the resources required for the team to succeed.

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus

Communication

Then comes often the most difficult part of the intervention. Communication with the underperforming employees.

Be Direct and Honest – Open and honest communication is key. You should approach the conversation with clarity and directness, outlining the observed performance issues and their impact on the work, the person, and the team.

Listen Actively – It’s equally important to listen to the employee’s perspective. There may be factors you are unaware of. Stoicism teaches us to be good listeners, seeking to understand before being understood. Too often, we listen not with the intent to understand but with the intent to respond. In that scenario, we stop listening the moment we feel we have enough data and start formulating our response in our mind.

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus

Don’t Make it Personal – It is not about you. Avoid defensiveness by framing the feedback in terms of how the situation affects the team and goals. Don’t make it personal. Stay with the objective facts, and don’t let your mind invent stories about whose fault it is.

“To accuse others for one’s own misfortunes is a sign of want of education; to accuse oneself shows that one’s education has begun; to accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one’s education is complete.” – Epictetus

The Guiding Principles

Focus on What Is Under Your Control – According to Stoic principles, you should focus on what is within your control – your thoughts, decisions, actions, and responses. The employee’s actions can be influenced, but in the end, they are not under your direct control. It is up to them how they digest the feedback and whether they will act on it.

“Some things are in our control and others not.” – Epictetus

Emphasize Growth and Improvement – Don’t get too obsessed with the past. Something happened, but the goal is to make sure it doesn’t happen again. You are trying to help the employees improve, not to punish them. Punishing the past won’t make the future any better. Set clear, achievable objectives and offer support in meeting them.

Practice Fairness and Justice – Practice the Stoic virtue of Justice. Every decision and action taken by you should be fair and just, both to the individual and the team. This includes equal treatment and opportunities for improvement. It also means that it is your duty to address underperformance. The team needs to see that they are being treated fairly and that if someone doesn’t do their share of work there are consequences.

Practice Courage – Another of the cardinal virtues is courage. Don’t get stopped from doing your job only because you feel uncomfortable giving negative feedback to others. Get over it. Gather the courage and do your job.

Practical Steps for Improvement

Develop a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – A standard HR approach in today’s performance management is to build a structured plan that outlines specific areas for improvement, goals, and timelines. This should be a collaborative effort, with input from the employee.

Offer Support and Resources – Make sure you mean it. Whether it’s additional training, mentoring, or adjustments in workload, provide the necessary support to help the employee succeed. Too often, managers put employees on PIPs only to check the box with the HR department, but internally, they already write them off and don’t give the employee a real chance to improve.

Set Regular Check-Ins – You are not done by having one conversation or setting up the PIP. Schedule frequent meetings to discuss progress and address challenges to help keep the employee on track and show that you are invested in their success.

Reassess and Adjust the Plan – If there’s no improvement, and you believe you have done your part to the best of your abilities, you need to reassess the situation. Are the goals realistic? Is there a deeper issue at play? It might be that what you were asking was not really doable in the first place. Or maybe it was, and then you need to make the ultimate decision.

Make The Tough Decision – If all efforts fail, you must have the courage to make tough decisions, including potential reassignment or termination, with fairness and empathy. Even when you need to fire someone, you should do it in a respectful manner.

Reflect on the Experience – Once the situation gets resolved, spend some time reflecting on what you learned from the experience. How can these insights improve your future management practices?

“Just as nature takes every obstacle, every impediment, and works around it—turns it to its purposes, incorporates it into itself, so, too, a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal.” – Marcus Aurelius

Stoic Leadership Summary

Dealing with underperformance tests a manager’s patience and understanding. Taking a balanced approach of understanding, clear communication, practical action, and a focus on improvement and growth are key.

It is an opportunity to practice these virtues, essential in Stoic philosophy: Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Temperance. By doing what is right and leading by example, you are demonstrating the virtues you want to see in your team. This includes showing resilience in the face of challenges and maintaining integrity in all actions.

By embracing these principles, a Stoic manager can not only address immediate performance issues but also foster a more resilient, supportive, and high-performing team.

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