Turning Around Under-Performing Employees

Confidently confront and help turn around poor performance and non-compliant behaviour

Overview

Managing underperforming employees is one of the most challenging responsibilities for any manager. Issues such as poor performance, unacceptable behaviour, workplace conflict, or even sensitive matters like grievances and disciplinary situations require a clear, confident, and professional approach. Without the right skills, many managers avoid these conversations, allowing problems to continue and impact team performance, morale, and productivity.

Turning Around Under-Performing Employees training equips managers with practical strategies to confidently address performance issues and handle difficult conversations. Participants learn how to prepare for and structure these discussions, communicate expectations clearly, and manage emotional responses with professionalism and empathy. By the end of the course, managers will have the tools to address issues early, encourage positive behavioural change, and follow through effectively, leading to improved performance, stronger accountability, and a more productive team environment.

Download Full Course Outline

What Are the Key Learning Outcomes?

  • What makes discussing underperformance so challenging?
  • Discover the four main causes of underperformance in the workplace and understand the importance of identifying and collaborating to transition from ineffective discussions and responses to a cooperative strategy for managing underperformance.
  • Understand Fair Work Australia’s approach to dealing with underperformance and the law.
  • Correct and incorrect ways to start a challenging discussion.
  • How to start a conversation and then manage reactive emotions during these tough conversations.
  • Developing an employee ‘turnaround’ framework.
  • We employ soothing dialogue to guide agitated individuals toward rationality and collaborative problem solving.
  • Set targets, use coaching, offer feedback, and follow up.

How Is This Training Delivered?

Training Options

One-Day, Half-Day, 60 Minute Lunch & Learn

Format

In-person (at your location) or Live Zoom /MS Teams

Style

Engaging, interactive, and highly practical, designed to keep participants involved, not sitting through long lectures or ‘death by PowerPoint.’

Customisation

Tailored to your organisation’s values, culture, and goals, ensuring the training is relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

Who Will Benefit from this Training?

Managers, supervisors, and team leaders who want to handle performance conversations with confidence, clarity, and better outcomes.

New and Emerging Leaders

Individuals stepping into leadership roles who need to build confidence in managing and developing others.

Experienced Managers and Team Leaders

Leaders who want to strengthen their leadership, coaching, and people management skills to improve team performance.

Supervisors and Frontline Leaders

Those responsible for day-to-day team operations who need practical skills to guide, support, and motivate their team.

Business Owners and Senior Leaders

Leaders who want to build stronger leadership capability across their organisation and create a high-performance culture.

“I used to avoid difficult conversations, hoping issues would resolve themselves, but they never did. This course gave me a clear, practical approach to address underperformance confidently and professionally. I’m now seeing real improvements in both behaviour and results.”

Lisa Carter, HR Manager

Why Choose The Success Institute for Turning Around Under-Performing Employees Training?

We deliver practical, step-by-step training that helps managers handle difficult performance conversations with confidence. Rather than vague theory, we focus on exactly what to say, how to say it, and how to achieve the right outcome.

Our training is designed for real workplace situations, including managing poor performance, addressing behavioural issues, and navigating sensitive conversations. Participants gain the confidence to act early, rather than avoiding issues that can escalate over time.

We also tailor our training to your organisation’s policies, culture, and challenges. The result is training that creates immediate impact, helping managers improve performance, strengthen accountability, and build a more positive and productive team environment.

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