Business owners and managers will know this person well. They’re full of energy. Clients warm to them instantly. The team enjoys having them around.
When something needs to be done, they’re often the first to say, “I’ll take care of that!” In the moment, it feels like a relief. You move on, trusting it’s handled.
Then the deadline comes and goes. The task is unfinished, half-done, or still sitting untouched. You’re left frustrated, picking up the pieces, and wondering whether you’re being too hard on them — or not hard enough.
In a small business or team, where every team member carries real weight, this pattern can become deeply draining. The key is to manage it constructively rather than emotionally.
Before labelling the individual as lazy or unreliable, it’s worth pausing to consider what may be driving the behaviour. Often these team members are natural relationship-builders who thrive on interaction and energy rather than detail and administration. They tend to be optimistic about what they can achieve and may genuinely believe they’ll get to everything. At times they overcommit because they want to please. At other times, they avoid certain tasks because those tasks feel overwhelming or tedious.
The goal isn’t to dampen their personality. In fact, their enthusiasm can be a tremendous asset, particularly in client-facing environments that are so common in SA practices and service businesses. The challenge is converting that enthusiasm into consistent output.
One of the first shifts owners can make is to stop rewarding intention instead of results. When someone volunteers enthusiastically, it’s tempting to respond with immediate gratitude and move on. Instead, gently anchor their commitment in specifics. Ask when it will be done. Clarify what the finished result should look like. Discuss what might get in the way. These questions are not confrontational — they are developmental. They move the conversation from excitement to ownership.
Vague deadlines are another common trap. Words like “soon” or “ASAP” mean different things to different people. Agreeing on a specific date and time creates clarity. Equally important is defining the deliverable clearly. The more precise the expectation, the less room there is for avoidance or misunderstanding.
In many small businesses, tasks are communicated informally — in passing conversations, WhatsApp messages, or quick verbal requests. While this flexibility is part of what makes small teams agile, it can also allow work to slip through the cracks. Introducing simple systems of visible accountability can make a significant difference. This doesn’t require complex corporate software. A shared task list, a weekly check-in meeting, or written confirmation of agreed actions can be enough to increase follow-through dramatically.
If the pattern continues, a direct conversation becomes necessary. It’s important to address behaviour and impact rather than attacking character. Framing the discussion around what you’ve observed — and how it affects clients or the team — keeps it professional and constructive. Often, these conversations reveal whether the issue is workload, unclear priorities, skill gaps, or simple avoidance. Clarity, even when uncomfortable, is always better than silent resentment.
Where possible, it can help to align roles with strengths. If this individual excels at client engagement, marketing initiatives, or morale-building activities, lean into those strengths. However, personality cannot replace reliability. Every team member must meet a basic standard of delivery. The rest of the team notices when someone repeatedly overpromises and underdelivers, and it can quietly erode morale.
If coaching and clearer systems don’t improve performance, consequences may need to follow. In small businesses, especially those that feel like family, owners often avoid formal performance processes. Yet unclear standards create more harm than clarity ever will. When expectations are explicit and consistent, fairness increases. Reliable staff feel protected rather than frustrated.
There is also a difficult but important question for leaders to ask themselves: if this person did not have their charming or energetic personality, would you tolerate the behaviour? If the answer is no, then the issue is not personality — it is performance. Charm may open doors, but it cannot carry a business.
Ultimately, after structured feedback and clear accountability, one of two things will happen. The individual will adjust and grow — in which case you have successfully developed a valuable team member. Or the pattern will persist, suggesting a deeper mismatch between the role and the individual. In a small business, carrying ongoing underperformance comes at a cost: client dissatisfaction, team resentment, owner stress, and reduced profitability.
Energy and culture matter enormously in a business. But delivery matters more. The aim is not to silence enthusiasm, but to anchor it in responsibility. When positivity is paired with structure, you gain a high-performing contributor. When talk continues without action, frustration becomes the norm.
And as always, the tone is set at the top.
