7 Steps for Handling a Freelancer Who Misses the Mark
You may be wondering less about how to hire fabulous freelancers, and more about what to do when those freelancers occasionally miss the mark.
It can be frustrating and even awkward navigating how to give constructive feedback without accidentally attacking their skill set, causing a riff in your partnership or highlighting pre-existing insecurities.
But, it happens... Freelancers are human and make mistakes just like you and me.
Even if you hire someone who totally fits your brand and vision, they will mess up or get it wrong on occasion. That’s something to expect and prepare for now, so you can handle it well when it happens.
And, if your freelancer continuously misses the mark, make sure you read this post on the signs it’s time to part ways with a team member.
Or, if you know it’s time to fire a freelancer, check out this article for more on how to let go.
How to handle feedback with a team member:
1. Take some time to cool off.
If you’re feeling frustrated, you might say something a little too harsh that could damage the relationship. I’m sure we’ve ALL been there.
With work situations where you’re the leader, it’s especially important to step back and safeguard yourself from saying something you don’t mean or might regret.
Take a few minutes, or even a day, to cool off if you're truly upset about the mistake. Bringing anger or a foul mood into a meeting about feedback is NEVER helpful.
2. Set up a meeting to discuss what went wrong.
Try to get your freelancer on the phone (or on Voxer) to be really clear about your expectations going forward. Emails or texts can easily be misconstrued.
Get a date on both of your calendars for a realistic amount of time — usually a half-hour will do — to talk through the root of the issue and leave room for your team member to give their own insights and feedback.
A conversation will allow both of you to discuss the problem openly, lay out any other miscommunications and bring solutions to the table.
3. Notice where you can take responsibility.
I know this article is about dealing with a freelancer who missed the mark... But consider whether you could have been more clear about what you wanted. Is there a strong system in place for communication? Were you available to them in case they had questions?
I’m not saying the issue is inherently your fault by any means, but often miscommunications and missteps are a two-way street, even if your involvement was small. Or even if you thought you’d been clear as day.
By taking some of the blame and acknowledging your part, you make the conversation feel less like an attack and more like a two-person pivot to ensure the mistake doesn’t happen again.
4. Start the meeting by sharing where YOU messed up first.
Open by sharing that place where maybe you could have communicated better or been more clear.
By starting with your part of the equation, it shows that you’re not looking to point fingers. You are looking at the issue holistically, from root to branch.
This creates a safe environment for your team member to know they’re not in trouble or being blamed. It’s a team effort, after all, and it’s good to demonstrate that you realize that!
5. Share openly where they missed the mark.
Next is the hard part, but you need to directly and honestly share what went wrong. There are ways to do this that makes it less harsh than you might imagine. You can say:
I noticed you did X. I prefer for Y to happen next time.
I thought I’d been clear about X project, but here is where we missed the mark…
I know you worked hard on X, but next time I’d like to see X instead.
With your feedback, be sure to always include what you'd like to see instead next time. Offer multiple solutions for the issue if it's happened a few times, and find the one that works best for both of you.
Keep in mind that this should be a dialogue — while it’s your business, their insights and ideas are important for the forward motion of the team.
6. Create a plan going forward.
By the end of the discussion, you should have a concrete picture of what to do next and how the issue will be handled next time, so that it’s not an issue! The goal is that the new system, process or solution is one that you're both on board with and understand fully.
Leave some time in the meeting to take questions or concerns from your freelancer, and not only that, but encourage them to bring them to you, whether it’s in that moment or if they think of any later on.
They might not even realize that they missed the mark, and the meeting might come as a surprise to them.
If that’s the case, questions may come up later, so it’s always wise to open the lines of communication and let them know they’re welcome to bring up anything with you.
(This is especially important if it’s a new partnership and you’re both learning how to communicate with one another).
7. Wrap up by acknowledging their hard work.
Ah, the good, ol’ compliment sandwich! You started the meeting with taking some responsibility, and delivered the mishap in the middle. I suggest wrapping it up with your appreciation for all they do.
I love this approach because it’s seriously one of the best ways to handle any sort of conflict, work-related or not. It softens the blow while also clearly getting your message across.
Even though they got it wrong this time, your freelancer likely performs highly the majority of the time. So let them know how amazing they are! People respond SO much better to positive feedback, so really be clear and specific with your gratitude.
Constructive feedback can actually be a good thing.
You know what? Even if a mistake happens and it’s frustrating, I look at it as a positive.
Why? Because it means you’re learning to communicate better, and you’re working together with your team to create tighter, better functioning systems that will make your business stronger in the end.
And there is honestly no other way to get this kind of experience.
It may be a bit uncomfortable to navigate, but with these steps, I know you’ll be able to communicate effectively and build a partnership based on trust and forward motion. That’s something to look forward to — hiccups, missteps and all!
