Working with an underperforming employee can be stressful. You want to discuss the problem without criticizing the individual; so, what do you say? This course addresses four reasons why someone is not completing a task and provides a strategy for coming to a resolution for each scenario. The video demonstrates how direct and clear communication is best for problem solving. Learners see the importance of discussing what they are witnessing and explaining expectations. Discovering which reason is preventing the team member from completing a task can lead to a productive conversation to help underperformers develop and succeed.

This course is part of the Managing When series on workplace communication. Use the courses in this series to help solve specific workplace issues, whether you are a manager remediating a situation or an individual trying to deal with a problem. These short vignettes present common communication dilemmas in the workplace. Human Resource expert Hugh Murray shares communication strategies and tactics for navigating these situations.

Each vignette features narrative examples for employees to see the wrong and right way to handle a problem and ends with a short assessment to measure learner comprehension. Each course also includes a leader guide and a downloadable “key points” document to help you remember the communication strategy. These courses make for great training on their own or used as a series.