Ask HN: How to tell someone they are not doing well at work?
What is a good (or the least bad) way to informally tell someone who does not report to you that they are not doing well at work? Should one even try?
On the one hand, I would like to limit the coming pain -- I myself was once in a situation where I thought myself a star team member only to find out later that I was not helping much, and that is putting it mildly. I wasted 12-18 months before I figured this out and moved on. I wish someone gently helped me, although it would not be easy -- it was my first job after grad school and of course I knew myself what I was doing better than some dude in the next office.
On the other hand, it is a minefield. I am high enough in the food chain that such talk, even informal, could be seen as an interference; he may also decide to shoot the messenger, complain to HR, etc.
On the one hand, I would like to limit the coming pain -- I myself was once in a situation where I thought myself a star team member only to find out later that I was not helping much, and that is putting it mildly. I wasted 12-18 months before I figured this out and moved on. I wish someone gently helped me, although it would not be easy -- it was my first job after grad school and of course I knew myself what I was doing better than some dude in the next office.
On the other hand, it is a minefield. I am high enough in the food chain that such talk, even informal, could be seen as an interference; he may also decide to shoot the messenger, complain to HR, etc.
Thoughts?