Turning around an underperforming team - Issue 17

Lenny answers a reader who is joining a team with a history of underperformance, arguing that a turnaround is both risky and a strong career opportunity. He advises setting expectations with the manager early, since impact will likely dip for 6-12 months and some people may be upset. He recommends holding a high bar, tying changes to each person's motivations, and following a sequence of observe, identify, share, and act. He closes with guidance on finding allies and handling specific situations like an underperforming manager or a broken process.

01Key takeaways

• Set expectations with your manager up front that short-term impact may dip during a turnaround.
• Set a high bar for the team and publicly reward great work while privately correcting low-quality work.
• Link each proposed change to what individual team members personally care about, such as impact, promotion, or balance.
• Observe and diagnose root causes before acting, and align peers and leaders before rolling changes out to the team.
• Identify early who will back you and who needs convincing, and tailor your approach accordingly.

02Key sections

Why turnarounds are an opportunity

Lenny frames underperforming teams as risky but high-potential situations that can accelerate a career if handled well. He encourages the reader to lean into the challenge.

Set expectations and a high bar

The reader should make leadership aware that short-term impact may drop and conflict may arise. They should also aim high, pushing for excellent work and naming both weak and strong output.

Motivate people through their own goals

Connect the proposed changes to what each person cares about, such as shipping impact, career growth, or work-life balance.

Observe, identify, share, and act

Adapting Nonviolent Communication, Lenny lays out a four-step process: gather facts, find root causes, align peers and leaders before the team, and only then change things.

Find allies and handle specific cases

Identify supporters and skeptics early, and tailor the approach to whether the problem is a person, a process, or a goal.

03From the post

“Hello and welcome to another edition of my weekly newsletter. My name is Lenny, and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the office. Send me your questions (just reply to this email or DM me) and in return, I’ll humbly share actionable real-talk advice 🤝 If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider sharing it with friends 🤜🤛 Q: I'm joining a new team that has a history of underperformance and lots of execution issues. What advice do you have for joining a turnaround situation like this one? [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s!SGqS!,fauto,qauto:good,flprogressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f24c672-b826-4790-b010-83ade4e29cdc1080x743.jpeg) Hold on for a wild ride 🎢 I’ve been in this spot a couple of times, and as painful as these situations are, they’re also chock full of potential. The risk that you take on (of failing, of slowing down your career by being bogged down on a sub-par team) is also the fuel that catapults your career forward if you can pull this off. My advice is to lean into this opportunity. Show your team, your manager,…”

04Frameworks mentioned

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.