Managing Underperformance: Why Great Club Managers Focus on Causes Before Consequences

Greg Hungerford
3 days ago
3 min read

Every club manager will, at some stage, face the challenge of an underperforming team member. It is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership. Poor performance affects member experience, team morale, productivity, and ultimately the club's financial performance. Yet one of the biggest mistakes leaders make is focusing on symptoms rather than causes.

A Chinese proverb shared in our upcoming Club Managers Webinar captures the challenge perfectly:

"For every hundred people hacking away at the branches of a diseased tree, only one will stop to inspect the roots."

The same applies to managing performance. Before corrective action can be taken, managers need to understand why performance has declined in the first place.

Looking Beyond the Obvious

When an employee misses targets, receives member complaints, or struggles to meet expectations, the temptation is often to move immediately into a disciplinary discussion. While there is certainly a place for formal performance management, effective leaders first investigate the root cause of the issue.

One practical framework is the 5 Rs of Managing Poor Performance:

Resupply - Does the employee have the resources, tools, information, or support they need to perform effectively?

Retrain - Has technology changed, have procedures evolved, or is there a skill gap that requires training or coaching?

Refit - Could minor adjustments to the role better align responsibilities with the individual's strengths?

Reassign - Would the employee be more successful in a different role within the club?

Release - Only after all reasonable support avenues have been explored should separation be considered.

This approach encourages managers to diagnose before prescribing. In many cases, performance challenges can be resolved through support and development rather than disciplinary action.

The Importance of Effective Feedback

How performance conversations are conducted can significantly influence outcomes.

Many managers unintentionally make discussions personal, emotional, or overly negative. Effective feedback, however, is objective, factual, specific, and timely. It focuses on behaviours and outcomes rather than attacking the individual.

For example, there is a substantial difference between saying:

"Your attitude is a problem."

and

"A member complaint was received regarding the way their concern was handled. Let's discuss what occurred and the expected service standard moving forward."

The second approach creates a pathway for improvement rather than defensiveness.

Importantly, underperformance should be framed as a temporary condition that can be improved, not as a permanent label attached to the employee. Great leaders remain focused on helping people succeed.

Coaching Before Corrective Action

One of the most powerful tools available to managers is coaching.

Research highlighted in our webinar indicates that while training alone can improve productivity, combining training with ongoing coaching can achieve significantly greater performance improvement.

Effective coaching involves:

Providing continuous feedback.
Clarifying expectations.
Recognising improvements and achievements.
Building trust through regular communication.
Supporting employees as they develop confidence and competence.

Only when coaching, support, training and monitoring fail to produce results should a formal disciplinary process commence.

Managing Risk for the Club

Poor performance management doesn't just affect employees. It creates risk for the entire organisation.

Managers must consider:

The cost of replacing employees.
The impact on team morale.
Service delivery standards.
Potential unfair dismissal claims.
Compliance with organisational policies and legal requirements.

Good documentation, objective observations, and a structured support process are essential safeguards for both the employee and the club.

Join Our Upcoming Webinar

Managing underperformance is rarely straightforward, but having a practical framework can make the process more effective, fair and legally defensible.

If you would like practical tools, communication techniques, coaching approaches, and performance management strategies that can be applied immediately within your club environment, join us for the upcoming Club Managers Webinar: Managing Your Underperforming Team Members.

Date: Tuesday, 1 September 2026

Time: 2:00pm AEST

Duration: 1 Hour

Investment: $50 + GST per participant

Whether you're a CEO, General Manager, department manager, supervisor or future leader, this session will provide practical insights to help you turn performance challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement.