The name Tiger Woods has evoked many emotions throughout his golfing career, but recently the name has induced nausea in the masses that were sick of hearing about his less-than-spotless personal life. Luckily for the golf legend, the focus this week isn’t so much on his personal rendezvous as it is his golfing capabilities. Gossip columns and tabloids are still searching for scandal in every bunker and tee box they can find, but for the most part the media is interested in how Tiger will play. After five not-so-long months of rumors and speculation, the golfer may actually be recognized for his athletic talent once again, but only as it applies to his “recovery.”
No matter the talent, at the end of the day people are just people. As humans we can be expected to mess up from time to time because perfection is unattainable. Tiger’s personal life impacted his professional career, so how do “real” people deal with these scenarios?
What happens when your top performer finds himself in a personal predicament? Stressors such as divorce, financial troubles, family death, etc. can severely impact an individual’s professional performance. Imagine this scenario: Your all-star employee exceeds his performance goals for months. Suddenly, his results slowly begin to diminish. Over the course of a few months his productivity is lower than anyone else’s and his attitude and engagement seem to be floundering. You find out he has been suffering from a very personal crisis. What do you do?
Tiger Woods’ professional career was abruptly interrupted by his personal crisis, but with time and patience the media and fans have slowly let him crawl back into the inner circle of the golf greats. Employees suffering from personal crises should not be immediately dismissed because of their poor performance. Instead, give those employees coaching and development opportunities to help them balance out during their difficult time.
If the employee was a top performer when his personal life was in line, then he should eventually return to that capacity of achievement. Keep his personal goals and skills in mind when coaching him through his personal issues, and encourage him to perform despite his troubles.
