The Can’t, Won’t, Don’t Question…
Every leader deals with the hard challenge of knowing if they have the right person in the right position. And then the follow up question of what to do with them, especially when they aren’t performing up to par.
There is a powerful question that every leader needs to ask about the people they are leading. It is THE filter they need to run every thought and strategy through in order to determine what to do. It will literally give you the exact insight you need to correctly move forward.
Here is the question to ask when someone isn’t performing…
Q: Is it because they can’t do it, they won’t do it, or they don’t know how to do it?
There is a massive difference between all of these insights. Failing to respond to the correct assessment can cause major problems in the relationship and the performance of an individual. However, when you get it right, and assess correctly it gives you the exact insight you need to get the best out of someone.
Let’s break these three parts down…
1) They Can’t Do It
Some people just can’t do what is required of them. They simply aren’t competent in that skill. Trying to force someone to fit a mold they are not designed for will cause immense damage to the person and the organization. You can’t prolong the agony of someone who isn’t fit for the role they are in. Many times we allow people to operate even though they are the wrong person for the job. You have to quickly to make the hard decisions to move the person to another area that fits their skill. The longer you wait to remove someone who needs to go the slower you’ll move forward. The wrong person in the wrong position will become a weight that holds the organization down. You can have all the strategy, tools, and resources in the world, and still fall short if your people can’t navigate them. A team is only as good as its weakest link. Move this person somewhere that fits their skill set best.
You can have all the strategy, tools, and resources in the world, and still fall short if your people can’t navigate them.
2) They Won’t Do It
Many times people become lazy or even toxic in their behavior. They won’t do what is required of them out of disrespect. They possibly have lost respect in the people, the vision, or the work. If people lose respect, they’ll lose motivation. When they lose motivation, they start to cause the organization to lose. If someone won’t do what is required of them they need to go immediately. To become successful, there must be a high bar set for your team or you’ll only attract average players. Not everyone can or needs to be part of your organization. I’m not sure if you got that last statement, so let me make it again…not everyone can or needs to be part of your organization. I have seen many organizations that never reach their potential because they simply had the wrong players playing. If someone is hostile to the vision they’ll become hostile to the success of the organization. Don’t allow any toxic behavior to spread it’s poison in your organization.
If someone is hostile to the vision they’ll become hostile to the success of the organization.
3) They Don’t Know How To Do It
Many times people just don’t know how to do what is required of them. This can be resolved with training. Failing to provide proper training for your team is not their fault…it’s yours. Don’t penalize someone who is hungry to do their best, but simply doesn’t know how to do it yet. If you wan’t to have the best, you have to provide the best. Providing the best happens when you provide opportunities for people to grow. When you invest in your people, you directly invest into the quality of your organization. As a leader, it’s imperative that you provide financial allotments for your team’s growth. An organization that does not have a budget for development is an organization that will eventually not have a budget to sustain itself.
I work with many organizations that are doing it right by providing coaching and training for their people. It makes a world of difference in the performance of an individual when they have proper opportunities to learn and grow. An internal report of the Personnel Management Association showed that when training is combined with coaching, individuals increase their productivity by an average of 86%, compared to 22% with training alone. Never make the mistake to overload and then under-empower those around you.
When you invest in your people, you directly invest into the quality of your organization
Make sure you deal with the correct assessment before moving forward with an individual. Don’t confuse what the real issue is when trying to decide what to do with someone. Don’t assume they won’t do it if they simply just don’t know how to do it. And don’t confuse if someone can’t do it by thinking they don’t know how to do it (or you will train them forever without any results).
