Why the People Function Should Be Involved Before Issues Escalate
Most managers genuinely want their team members to succeed and flourish. They wish to provide opportunities, freedom, and space to grow—sometimes so much so that difficult conversations are postponed for far too long. From a manager’s perspective, it can feel unreasonable to address individual performance concerns if the overall picture isn’t yet critical.
But this is precisely where vulnerability lies: when development discussions, objectives, and follow-up remain unclear to the employee, underperformance can become entrenched—and the employee may not even realise they’re heading in the wrong direction. Without clear steps and active feedback, growth is left to chance.
Support When It Still Makes a Difference
The role of the People function is not to “tidy up problems” after the fact, but to build proactive models and fair processes that support the manager—and, above all, the employee. If you’re concerned about a team member’s performance, consulting the People team is not a sign of failure but the very best form of risk management.
In one instance, a manager happened to mention that there were two people in their team whose performance did not meet expectations. With one, discussions had been ongoing for months without results. The other refused to change their approach, arguing, “Well, my colleague doesn’t do any more either.” In both cases, the People team had been left completely out of the discussions.
When these matters came to light, I was genuinely shocked. It wasn’t that the organisation lacked processes, but that they hadn’t been utilised. Had the manager reached out after the first signs, we could have created a concrete plan—objectives, a timeline, and criteria for improvement. If things hadn’t changed, the situation would have been manageable and decisions justifiable. For the second employee, the same model could have been applied immediately—or perhaps the situation would never have arisen.
When the People function is left out, expertise goes unused—and People professionals cannot provide the support that is needed and for which they were hired.
Problems or Challenges? Timing Is Everything.
It’s important to remember that underperformance is not a problem. It’s a challenge. And challenges have solutions—as long as they’re addressed at the right time, with the right tools.
A challenge becomes a problem when:
- the employee does not accept the support offered
- objectives are not achieved
- the direction does not change, even though time and help have been provided.
Usually, if all three of the above are true, there are already issues with attitude as well. Only then does the manager face a situation where there is no longer a shared solution from the perspective of continued employment. That’s when it becomes a “problem” in the true sense of the word.
The People Team Is Not a Cleaner—Nor Merely a Communications Assistant
As a People professional, it is frustrating to find that we are often approached only when the situation has already escalated—or, to put it bluntly, when the damage is already done. Even more frustrating is when we are simply asked for “communications support” or whether we could “handle this gracefully for external audiences.” Yes, we are skilled communicators. But above all, we are experts in workplace structures, whose job is to prevent situations—not merely to manage them after the fact.
One manager, who initially acted entirely on their own, later admitted that involving the People team made things smoother, clearer, and easier. Over time, they became something of a People function ambassador: contacting us promptly and recommending to others how matters should be handled and what kind of support they had received for their own leadership work.
That was rewarding—and a reminder that, even if turning to the People function sometimes feels unnecessary, it is genuinely a good way to lighten a manager’s workload. Often, simple solutions are found just by having an hour’s conversation over a cup of tea or coffee.
What Next?
In a professional organisation, a manager is not left alone with these situations. However, this requires a shared understanding of when and why the People function should be involved. This is a message that should be understood and championed by senior leadership. I mention this in every management meeting: if someone still chooses to act independently, that is ultimately their decision—and their responsibility.
The most important thing to remember: a manager’s job is not to solve everything alone.
The People function exists for exactly that reason.
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