How do you handle underperforming teammates or engineers struggling with delivery deadlines?

In Simple Words: Lead with empathy, clarity, and curiosity. Diagnose whether the issue is skill, will, or external blockers, set clear micro-milestones, and provide structured pairing.

The Approach:

1. Private 1-on-1 Diagnosis: Check in privately: "I noticed the user service tickets have slipped past the sprint estimate. What technical blockers or ambiguities are in your way?"
2. Break Down Tasks: Often, struggling engineers are overwhelmed by scope ambiguity. Help them decompose 5-day epics into 4-hour bite-sized tasks.
3. Structured Pair Programming: Pair for 30–45 minutes at the beginning of the day to set direction and clarify architectural patterns.
4. Transparent Documentation: If performance remains problematic despite coaching, document concrete delivery gaps and partner with Engineering Management.

Practical Script & Summary Template

### Task Decomposition Framework:
- **Overwhelming Task**: "Build the user billing subscription engine" (Too ambiguous, leads to freeze).
- **Decomposed Micro-Tasks**:
  1. Define TypeScript interface for `SubscriptionPlan`.
  2. Write unit tests for billing date calculation logic.
  3. Create Prisma migration for `subscriptions` table.
  4. Implement `GET /subscriptions/:id` route handler.