When a top performer unexpectedly becomes a low performer.

“We chose to listen… Had we chosen not to listen, we never would have learned what was driving his unhappiness. We couldn’t have identified how we as leaders and as friends could help him boost his wellbeing, and in turn, improve the business environment for everyone.”

– from “Pay It Forward” by Jordi Ricart. Alex Abreu I can’t thank you enough for giving me this book. What a wonderful story.

Because often, when top performers suddenly become low performers, most organizations focus solely on the declining output. They add training, implement PIPs, or worse – push the person out. I have been there. With shame, as a manager, and with pain, as an employee. The reality is that life happens.

Everybody’s got stuff going on.

Maybe they’re caring for aging parents, or going through a separation. Or maybe they don’t get on with their new manager, or they’ve outgrown their role and feel trapped. All those personal challenges can rapidly deplete someone of their capacity: their emotional, metabolic, and cognitive resources.

When capacity drops, everything suffers.

Strategic thinking, authentic connection, consistent execution. And there’s rarely a safe space to discuss this. It requires deep trust to admit to your manager: “I don’t connect with this job anymore” or “we need to fix our relationship” without fearing retaliation. So people wear a mask in silence while their performance plummets.

Address capacity first

In Jordi’s story, CURATED offered the valued team member paid leave and coaching instead of a performance plan. They discovered he had outgrown management and wanted to contribute differently. By addressing capacity first – giving him space to restore and resolve what was really going on – they kept their great employee and created a win-win solution.

Capacity for Chaos

This is building Capacity for Chaos at enterprise level: recognizing that sustainable performance requires looking deeper than surface metrics. When we create psychologically safe environments where people can be honest about their struggles, we unlock potential instead of losing talent.

What would change if we asked “What’s really going on?” instead of “Why aren’t you performing?”

And if you haven’t read the book, here it is!

 

Capacity for Chaos is rooted in the model Scientist of Yourself® designed by CHX Performance.