As a business owner, you’ve worked hard to build your team, hoping they’d be your secret weapon for growth and success. 

Yet, despite your best efforts, things aren’t running as smoothly as you’d like.

Deadlines are missed, quality is inconsistent, and you find yourself constantly stepping in to fix issues. 

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle with team performance.

The good news is that it’s often not about the people but the processes and structures missing in your business. 

In this article, we’ll explore some common reasons your current team might be failing and, more importantly, how to fix them to get your business back on track.

1. They’re the wrong person for the job.

Hiring the right person for your team is more than just matching a resume to a job description.

It’s finding someone whose skills, experience, and personality align with the specific needs and culture of your business. 

But that’s easier said than done.

Many businesses make the mistake of hiring based solely on immediate needs or perceived urgency. 

They rush the hiring process and end up with someone who either doesn’t fit the role or doesn’t mesh well with the company culture. This mismatch can lead to frustration on both sides.

The team member struggles to meet expectations, and you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires and picking up the slack.

Even if you hire someone with the right skills, they might end up wearing too many hats and taking on a role that doesn’t align with their strengths or expectations (i.e. in the wrong seat). This not only hampers productivity, it can also lead to high turnover rates.

You can avoid this common pitfall by implementing a hiring process that ensures you bring on the best person for each role every time.

 By focusing on both skill fit and cultural fit, you'll create a more cohesive and effective team.

2. They haven’t been trained.

It’s easy to assume that the right person should be able to come in and hit the ground running.

But even the best-fit hires need training.

In order to effectively do their jobs, they need to understand your business’s unique processes, expectations, and culture.

Without training, new team members are left to figure things out on their own, which often leads to inconsistencies, errors, and unmet expectations.

This lack of training not only affects performance; it also creates frustration and confusion, ultimately impacting the overall productivity and morale of the team.

Proper training involves more than just a one-time orientation session.

It should involve a well-documented and structured onboarding process, regular check-ins, and in-depth training on your business’s workflows.

In order to provide that training, you have to have actually documented your processes and workflows so new team members can learn how to do their jobs well.

Depending on the role, you may also need more hands-on training or mentorship to get new hires up to speed and integrated smoothly into their role.

By investing more time in training your team, you ensure that everyone is aligned with your business’s vision and goals and knows exactly how to contribute to achieving them.

This not only boosts efficiency but also builds a stronger, more capable team that can operate without you.

3. They aren’t being managed.

Hiring and training the right team members is crucial, but without proper management, even the best hires can flounder. 

Many business owners fall into the trap of assuming that once a team member is trained, their job is done. 

However, ongoing management is essential to ensure that team members stay on track and continue to grow in their roles. 

This includes setting clear expectations, holding regular one-on-one meetings to provide feedback and discuss progress, and creating an environment where team members feel supported and motivated. 

It’s also about recognizing and rewarding good performance, which helps to boost morale and motivation.

Without proper management, team members can feel neglected and uncertain about their performance. This can lead to disengagement, decreased productivity, and even high turnover rates. 

On the other hand, a well-managed team feels valued, understands their role in the company’s success, and is more likely to stay committed and perform at their best.

By taking the time to manage your team effectively, you create a structured and supportive work environment. This not only enhances individual performance but also contributes to the overall success and growth of your business. 

Investing in management is investing in your team’s potential and your business’s future.

4. They’re working on the wrong things.

Even when you have the right people in the right roles, your team’s efforts can be wasted if they’re not focusing on the tasks that truly drive your business forward. 

It’s a common scenario: team members are busy all day, but progress feels slow, and key goals remain unmet. 

This often happens because there's a lack of clarity on what tasks are most important and impactful.

When team members spend their time on low-priority tasks or get pulled into too many different directions, their productivity and morale can take a hit. This misalignment often stems from not having a clear strategy or a well-defined set of priorities. 

Without a strong sense of direction, it’s easy for the urgent to overshadow the important, leading to a reactive rather than proactive work environment.

To correct this, it’s essential to ensure that everyone on your team understands your business’s vision and goals and how their work contributes to achieving them.

This involves taking the time to look at the big picture of your business, define your strategy, and set clear priorities for the business and your team.

Once those priorities are set, you implement a system for tracking and updating progress so that everyone stays focused and aligned with the company’s goals.

By focusing your team on the right tasks, you not only boost productivity but also create a more engaged and motivated workforce. 

This strategic alignment is crucial for driving growth and achieving long-term success.

5. They don’t have clear goals and expectations.

Even if your team is working on the right things, their efforts can still fall short without clear, measurable goals and expectations.

When team members don’t have specific targets to aim for, it’s difficult for them to know what success looks like. 

This uncertainty can lead to confusion, wasted effort, and missed opportunities.

Effective goal-setting involves more than just outlining tasks; it’s about setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with your business’s strategic objectives. 

KPIs provide tangible results that can be measured, giving team members a clear understanding of their impact on the company’s success.

When you tie individual goals to KPIs, you create a direct link between daily activities and larger business outcomes. This clarity helps team members prioritize their work and focus on what truly matters. 

For example, instead of a vague goal like “improve customer service,” a KPI-driven goal would be “reduce customer response time to under 2 hours.”

By establishing clear, measurable goals, you not only enhance productivity but also boost morale. 

Team members are more motivated when they see how their efforts lead to tangible results. 

This approach fosters a sense of achievement and accountability, driving your business toward sustainable growth.

From Stress to Success

Fixing these common issues can transform your team from a source of stress into a powerful engine of growth for your business. 

By ensuring you have the right people in the right roles, providing proper training, managing effectively, focusing on the right tasks, and setting clear goals and expectations, you can unlock your team's full potential.

However, implementing these changes can be challenging, especially when you’re already stretched thin. 

This is where a Fractional COO can make all the difference. 

A Fractional COO brings the expertise and experience needed to streamline your operations, manage your team, and drive your business forward without the overhead of a full-time executive.

If you're ready to overcome these challenges and scale your business smoothly and sustainably, consider our Fractional COO services. 

We’re here to help you turn your vision into reality and ensure your team is set up for success.