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How to Figure Out What’s Really Behind a Performance Problem

October 13, 2026 · 7 min

Show notes

It's 4:47 on Thursday, the report still isn't in, and the story forming in your head is that they just don't care. But that story is usually wrong, and it's also the easiest one to tell because it means you don't have to look at anything you did. This episode gives you a three-question framework, person, process, promise, to find where a performance problem actually lives before you walk into a feedback conversation assuming the worst.


Conversation Topics

  • (00:00) Introduction: Why "They Just Don't Care" Is Usually the Wrong Story
  • (01:33) The Three Places a Performance Problem Can Live: Person, Process, Promise
  • (04:15) Why Managers Default to Blaming the Person
  • (05:15) The Right Order to Diagnose the Problem: Promise, Process, Person
  • (08:15) Turning Accusations Into Questions That Uncover the Truth
  • (10:30) Your Action Step and Final Takeaway

Additional Resources

  • ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rp0C9sRoPtnHWJ5ZZ_ck_GEFjmbxeSD7lNNoUk76v70/edit?usp=sharing
  • ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/
  • ✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/
  • ✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

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