One of the biggest challenges all managers face is in separating the performance from the person behind the performance. To think about it managing the performance and performer are two separate things and needs to be treated differently. One of the primary reasons why we find it difficult to segregate the two is because of the way we are used to interchangeability of the two.
For example, if I have done great work on a particular assignment, we unknowingly make statements like Rejo is a good performer rather than saying Rejo demonstrated great performance in the project I gave him last quarter and so on.
This is more critical when the performance fails to meet a particular level and we brand the person as a poor performer against poor performance on a particular assignment.
Some of the factors which will help us manage the performer would be as follows:
1.Their Career and Rewards
All good managers keep this part of each of their team members in mind. One of basic things to be kept in mind is while we might be taking care of your team members on the career and rewards perspective from our point of view. Their perception on this front could be very different from ours. This becomes even more challenging if our team includes people with different age groups and diverse backgrounds both social and aspirational. Very often we forget that our career actually spans 30 to 40 years of your life and making a wrong career move keeping only the monetary rewards in mind can derail your potential career.
2.Their Learning and Development
Learning and development would include some of the below
a) Developing new skills and capabilities
b) Opportunities to test various skills
c) Challenges to expand horizons and identify people capable of taking such challenges
3.Understanding the different motivations considering our diverse workforce.
One of the tools which could come in handy while trying to manage the performer is the Ability-Motivation matrix. While there are various versions of the same in use with multiple combinations, we will look at the simple 4 quadrant one.
The matrix above captures motivation on the x axis and ability on the y axis. This basically leads to four quadrants as shown above with the following characteristics
- Low Motivation and Low Ability
- Low Motivation and High Ability
- High Motivation and Low Ability
- High Motivation and High Ability
Am sure we will all relate to each of these situations as individuals first and then as managers. Some of the common identifying factors of each of these quadrants are as below
- Low Motivation, Low Ability
Lacks confidence, quiet, at times indifferent. It difficult to simultaneously work on improving both motivation and ability at the same time. Sometimes just helping the person get the required ability will automatically bring back the motivation levels.
2. Low Motivation, High Ability
Competent, lacking passion, just doing enough, sometimes negative and cynical, could also be power centers and energy suckers of others, experts in finding reasons why something won’t work or shouldn’t be tried, will do things at my pace only, this is not my job types.
3. High Motivation, Low Ability
This is usually the case when a person is new in a company or role or location and is still learning and adapting to the new requirements. Some typical traits would be asking lots of questions, has lots of new ideas, struggles with solving complex problems and inter departmental issues.
4. High Motivation, High Ability
Independent, produces great results, contributes beyond the boundaries of the role, has very high career and growth aspirations, at times shows star tantrums.
Like they say the beginning of everything is with self. Before you think up of ways to segregate your team members into each of the different quadrants it would be good to understand which quadrant, you are operating in.
Very often the shifting of our leadership style into the top right-hand quadrant will serve a lot of purpose. It is not that every person stays in the same quadrant all the time. Everyone shifts between quadrant to quadrant based on situations and events.
The more the members of the teams in the right-hand quadrants the more efficient and successful will the team be. Separating the performer and the performance and taking care to move performer to the right top quadrant is the first step in this process.
To know more about keeping more people in the top right-hand quadrant and helping them stay there do subscribe to my new LinkedIn newsletter Rejo’s Biz Bytes and visit my website www.rejofrancis.com
