Save or Let Go? Coaching Low Performers on Your Team

One of the most complex leadership dilemmas is what to do when someone on your team is underperforming.

A client once told me in a coaching session:

“It’s the biggest waste of time and money to coach someone with low performance. They’ll unlikely bounce back, and I could use that time to boost my top performers instead.”

Harsh? Yes. Realistic? Perhaps. But this kind of situation challenges the very core of leadership. Is it my job as a leader to “save” this person? What will be said about my leadership if I lose a team member? And what happens if I protect them while the rest of the team perceives they’re picking up the slack?

The Real Question Behind Performance

In my experience, the key is asking:

Does this person bring unique or valuable qualities to the business?
Are they going through a personal crisis that may pass with support and time?
Is there a genuine commitment to turn things around?

What I’ve seen in many organizations is that while a leader is doing everything possible to help someone improve, that same person may already be looking for their next job—or worse, they may be actively undermining their leader, questioning the fairness of their treatment, and spreading a negative attitude that starts affecting the rest of the team or even external stakeholders.

So, what’s the right move?

Whether you invest in helping the person recover or let go and move forward, both decisions say something about your leadership.

If you decide to support them, it must come with firm agreements, accountability, and honest conversations. You’ll need to ensure the person is truly committed and free from the kind of stress that paralyzes rather than motivates.

At the same time, leadership is also about knowing when to facilitate a respectful and strategic exit—one that protects the culture of the team, preserves dignity, and perhaps even leaves the door open for future collaboration.

Leadership Is Not About Saving Everyone

Leadership is not measured only by how many people you turned around. It’s also measured by your ability to make difficult decisions at the right time, to uphold the values of the company, and to protect the long-term health of the business and your team.

 
🟦 So what would you do? Do you currently have someone like this on your team? Do you feel equipped to handle it effectively?

Let’s open the conversation.

#Leadership #Coaching #PerformanceManagement #TeamCulture #DifficultDecisions #OrganizationalHealth