Imagine a team member is experiencing regular performance issues that affect you and your team. What steps would you take to improve the situation?
One of the goals of the Kellogg MBA program is to improve your leadership skills. Leadership in the face of performance issues is a likely topic of discussion. However, you may also encounter performance issues within your project teams at Kellogg. Your interviewer wants to know how you handle yourself during these potentially stressful times of conflict.
Your response should include an attempt to identify the root cause of the issue and an offer to support the team member in their corrective action. An impressive answer to this question should also demonstrate empathy for the team member in question.
As a team consultant and facilitator, I have coached numerous team leaders on addressing specific behavior issues and improving overall team performance. While I understand that the escalation of team member performance issues is a viable option in both professional and educational settings, I typically encourage my clients to try alternate methods before jumping to options that are likely to hurt the individual and the team. It is acceptable to include escalation measures within your response, but they should be preceded by a more positive approach that demonstrates your leadership and motivational skills first.
"As a team leader, I have dealt with similar situations. Performance issues are a sensitive subject for some people, and I find it best to handle them with care. I would begin with a one-on-one conversation with the teammate to raise the issue and ask them if they were aware of the effect their actions had on the team. I would then allow them to explain why they feel they are struggling to complete their assigned work. I would then offer them my support and work with them to develop an improvement plan. I would then check in with them as necessary to look for opportunities to assist and maintain accountability."
