When an employee struggles, the entire business can suffer, as well. What starts as a single issue impacting one employee can taint the whole department, only to trickle throughout the entire business unit, and managers must be prepared to handle these issues.

Often, the problems facing struggling employees stem from a lack of management, says Jason Carney, director of human resources at WorkSmart Systems Inc., a professional employer organization in Indianapolis. Many managers are overworked, and some do not have strong management skills. While managers rose to their positions because they of their strong practitioner skills, they are not necessarily effective leaders. In order to lead a group, managers must understand what motivates each individual employee.

"Every employee operates differently," Carney says. "Some are self-motivated, some are motivated by coaching and development, and some of motivated by emotional needs."