“I used to blame the rep who missed quota; now I blame the system that trained them to fail. A shrug usually means the conversation hasn't happened that matters, so I'd stop guessing and use his call data to see whether he's skipping steps, going quiet, or losing at a specific stage, then ask him about that exact pattern before I ever opened a PIP.”
“I would coach first, but not the performance.”
“A rep dropping from 120% to 60% with a shrug isn't a capability problem, it's a conversation you haven't had yet. I'd pull him aside, state the numbers, ask what's actually going on, and set a time-bound action plan before I even thought about a file.”
“A 120% rep who drops to 60% and shrugs isn't a performance problem yet; it's a signal you haven't created a space where he'll tell you the truth. I'd get him out of the office, one on one, no quota sheet, and ask what's actually going on. If he's still the same person who used to crush it, the fix is usually there. If he checks out even after that, then you document.”
“A 120% rep who drops to 60% and shrugs is not a performance problem yet; it is a signal that something is eating him from the inside. I would sit with him and ask what is actually going on, because in my experience the scoreboard is just the last place the pain shows up.”
“I built my whole business around women showing up scared, stuck, or sure they were already behind, and the ones who bloomed were the ones I asked real questions of before I ever assumed they were done. I'd have one honest conversation with him about what is actually going on, not the numbers, because a shrug from someone who used to crush it usually means something is heavy, not that he is lazy.”
“The shrug is the data. Someone who used to crush it and now won't engage is rarely a performance problem yet; it's usually a person problem wearing performance clothes. I'd sit with him before I sat with HR. Not to fix the quarter, but to see if he still wants to be here. The quarter after that tells you whether to coach or cut.”
“A 120% performer doesn't drop to 60% because of skill. I would sit with him and ask where his energy has gone, not where his numbers went. The shrug is data: either he has lost conviction in the work or something outside the office is draining him, and you won't know which until you stop managing the quota and start listening to the human.”