#3: Skill/Will Matrix
This learning byte focuses on grouping team members according to their level of skill and their motivation (or will)
The Skill/ Will Matrix gives us a way of describing the people we work with and leads to an understanding of what they might need in order to grow or maintain high performance.
The circle of control – Stephen Covey
Think about the people in your team,
or those who work around you:
- How might you describe them using the Skill/ Will Matrix?
- What might this mean for the way you manage the relationship?
- What’s your plan for developing or maintaining their performance?
The Star Performer is often overlooked. They are the people who have a great attitude and a high level of skill. The main risk here is that they won’t be the star performer for ever. You might need to look at what you can do to stretch them and reward them appropriately (remember, this doesn’t have to be financial reward).
The Apprentice is the person who is very keen to do a good job but just doesn’t have the skill yet. You should look at coaching or training them to ensure that they develop the skills they need.
The Walking Dead is the person who doesn’t have the required level of skill and doesn’t have a positive motivation. There may be reasons why their motivation is not positive – try to find out what that might be. Of course, it may be their lack of skill that’s causing it, in which case, you may seek to develop that and then see their motivation return.
Finally, Dennis the Menace is the person who, although has a high level of skill, is not positively motivated. The label arises because they may actively seek to undermine the work you are doing or you. Finding out the root cause of their lack of positive motivation is the first step to doing something about it.
Learning Bytes