The rise of the self-aware underperformer

Move over quiet quitting, bare minimum Mondays, and career cushioning: here are five signs you’re working with someone who is aware of their own underperformance, writes Roxanne Calder.

A new workplace behaviour is on the rise: the self-aware underperformer. And forget the hustle culture. Today’s workers are embracing something bolder, underperforming, and admitting it.

It used to be the delusional underperformer, the employee who thought they were doing a great job, who gave HR headaches. Yet, these issues seem paltry in comparison. The self-aware underperformer doesn’t just fall short; they think it’s acceptable.

And so must we. After all, underperformance doesn’t just materialise. Shaped by the boundaryless, people-pleasing ethos of modern corporate culture, it’s been cultivated on our watch. Optics over results, placating instead of coaching, compensating instead of addressing, and authenticity and transparency repurposed to serve as convenient excuses.

The self-aware underperformer is the inevitable outcome.

Self-awareness has long been hailed as the holy grail of performance, often tied to superior decision making, enhanced team dynamics, and thriving leadership behaviour. Despite the admissions, true self-awareness appears to be in short supply. Ninety-five per cent of people think they’re self-aware, yet only 10–15 per cent are, and this is the confronting dilemma. The perceived claim of awareness without the change is a disguise for the underperformer’s illusion of responsibility.

It feels like accountability. Yet when employees repeatedly demonstrate awareness, apologies, and empathy but fail to change, it’s no longer just their performance that suffers.

Here are five signs you are working with a self-aware underperformer:

1. Underperformance as an identity

Unashamedly, their underperformance is worn as a badge. At best, the bare minimum is delivered. What once might have been seen as complacency is now reframed as a kind of delusional authenticity: “I know I might not be the best, but I’m steady”. By leaning into this identity, they transform underperformance into their personal brand.

Instead, separate awareness from accountability. Awareness is not a deliverable. A useful response is, “Thanks for raising that. What’s your plan to fix it this week?” This keeps the conversation future-focused and signals that recognition alone isn’t enough.

2. Self-deprecation

Some employees deflect by making light of their shortcomings. With a smile or a joke, “You know I’m hopeless at numbers”, they disarm criticism. Managers may even laugh along, but six months later, the reports are still late. What feels like humility in the moment is a shield protecting a lacklustre effort to improve.

Instead, anchor evaluations to progress, not personality. Self-aware underperformers often rely on charm, humility, or likability. Ground assessments to measurable outcomes. What matters is not how self-aware they appear, but whether their output improves quarter to quarter.

3. Morally and passively reframed

Self-awareness is positioned as a conscious decision to reject the hustle culture. “Why should I extend myself?” or “I need to look after my health and wellbeing”. Or the most subversive refrain, “We are not saving lives”. They champion underperformance as though it’s a cause. Morally superior, they believe it to be a legitimate workplace stance.

Instead, raise the bar on comfort zones. If someone openly settles for less, leaders must decide whether that plateau is acceptable. In high-expectation roles and cultures, make clear that comfort is not a contract. Performance standards exist for a reason, and they can’t be suspended simply because someone is candid about not aspiring higher.

4. Your narrative becomes theirs

You want to be “that supportive manager”. In the beginning, you are patient, finding ways to make it OK. “They are still coming up to speed”, or “they need more training, resources, help”. Slowly, the shift goes from being supportive to over-accommodating, allocating their work to others, extending deadlines, and making continual allowances. Before you know it, their performance is no longer their responsibility, but yours. The narrative is flipped to, “I wasn’t given enough training / time / resources. It’s all your fault.”

Instead, interrupt the rationalisation loop. Shift the discussion from causes to choices. Ask, “Given these constraints, what can you still control and improve?” This reframes the narrative from circumstance to agency, putting responsibility back in the employee’s hands.

5. An abundance of excuses

Self-aware underperformers rarely run out of explanations: outdated systems, shifting market trends, and unclear mandates. These rationalisations are often factually correct, but function as shields. Rather than moving from problem to solution, employees stay stuck in the narrative of why things couldn’t be done. When they appear to show empathy, it becomes harder to confront. “I know this must be frustrating for the team, and I really appreciate everyone’s patience.” It’s a clever move, a neat redirect away from the issue.

Instead, redefine empathy as action. Empathy is valuable only when it translates into behavioural change. Encourage employees to pair recognition with repair: “You’ve named the impact on the team, now let’s agree on what you’ll do differently.”

The real leadership test isn’t spotting underperformance; it’s seeing through the packaging of awareness without improvement. Awareness without change is simply underperformance in more eloquent clothing. The best leaders know how to thank people for their honesty and then hold them to the change that honesty demands.

Roxanne Calder is the founder and managing director of EST10 and the author of “Earning Power: Breaking Barriers and Building Wealth for Women”.