Upcoming Employer Webinar: Building High-Performing Teams — Managing Underperformance Before It Becomes a Legal Problem
We are pleased to announce our upcoming employer webinar, Building High-Performing Teams: Managing Underperformance Before It Becomes a Legal Problem, where we will explore how employers can build stronger teams, address underperformance confidently and prevent workplace concerns from developing into formal disputes.
Together with Shane O’Sullivan, High Performance Coach, and Ellen Walsh De Lacey BL, we will examine what successful organisations do differently and how the principles of high performance, accountability and effective leadership can be applied within the workplace.
Ahead of the webinar, I wanted to share some initial thoughts on why strong teams do not happen by accident—and why performance concerns often become legal problems only after earlier leadership opportunities have been missed.
High-Performing Teams Don’t Happen by Accident
Every business owner wants a high-performing team.
Most business owners become experts in their profession. Very few are ever taught how to manage people.
Yet building a successful business means building a successful team. That involves setting standards, giving feedback, recognising underperformance and having difficult conversations when they are needed.
As a business owner, I know those conversations are not always easy. As an employment lawyer, I also see what can happen when they are avoided for too long.
That is why we are hosting our upcoming employer webinar:
Building High-Performing Teams: Managing Underperformance Before It Becomes a Legal Problem
Together with Shane O’Sullivan, High Performance Coach, and Ellen Walsh BL, we will explore how strong teams are built, how underperformance can be addressed confidently and fairly, and why effective leadership is often the best way to prevent workplace disputes.
Ahead of that discussion, I wanted to share some initial thoughts on an issue that has become increasingly clear to me over the years.
Workplace Disputes Rarely Begin as Legal Problems
Very few workplace disputes begin with a legal problem.
More often, they begin with a leadership challenge.
Performance begins to slip. Expectations become unclear. Difficult conversations are postponed.
Managers may hope the situation will improve, while employees may not realise how serious the concern has become.
By the time a formal process begins, trust has often been damaged and positions have hardened. The legal issues that follow are frequently a symptom of a problem that began much earlier.
What Strong Organisations Do Differently
The organisations that manage these situations best do not necessarily encounter fewer challenges.
They simply respond differently.
They establish clear expectations, provide regular feedback and address concerns before frustration is allowed to build.
They also create a culture in which accountability and support work together. Employees understand what is expected of them, where improvement is required and what support is available.
Exactly how organisations create that culture and how employers can apply those principles within their own businesses is what we will explore in greater detail during the webinar.
The Questions Employers Need to Consider
During the session, we will examine practical questions faced by business owners and managers, including:
- When should coaching become formal performance management?
- How can employers maintain high standards while remaining fair?
- How can difficult conversations be handled without unnecessarily damaging morale?
- What can businesses learn from high-performance environments about accountability, feedback and continuous improvement?
- How can employers recognise and address underperformance before it becomes a legal problem?
These are questions I deal with regularly as an employment lawyer, but they are also questions I have had to consider as a business owner.
Our aim is not simply to explain the law. It is to have a practical discussion about leadership, performance and the steps employers can take before a workplace concern becomes a formal dispute.
Building High-Performing Teams: Managing Underperformance Before It Becomes a Legal Problem
If you are responsible for managing people, we would be delighted to have you join us.
Registration details will be announced shortly.
📞 Contact us today for confidential guidance.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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