Average performance, moderate potential

1.Who are these people?

They are the core employees of the Organization. They may have potential to do more through lateral
move or bigger responsibility. This category has employees that more or less perform up to the job
potential but there is always a chance to achieve higher performance by giving them necessary push.
They are just like employees in the category dilemma but are more promising.

2.What challenges do they experience?

 They always look for challenges that encourage them to learn new skills and acquire new
knowledge
 They look for emotional bonding in the Organization
 They feel that they are unnoticed and no more important to the organization
 No body listen to their suggestion

3.What challenges do they pose?

 They are not eager to advance in the organization
 They lack the motivation to grow to positions with greater responsibility
 They want the freedom to stay where they are
 They are more keen on establishing their work/life balance
 To retain these core contributors, it’s important to develop them in ways that best match their
competencies, potential, and desires

4.What would be the appropriate strategy to manage these people?

 Seek to understand their most passionate business interests, deepest work values, and
strongest skills.
 Giving these employees new experiences, through job rotations or “sideways promotions,” can
help keep them energized and productive.
 Show them that they have your confidence by allowing them to take actions and make decisions
that are appropriate for their skill level.
 May not be eager or able to advance; don’t push them, allow them to stay where they are
 Continuously check-in regarding willingness to advance, relocate
 Provide occasional opportunities to “test” them
 Provide stretch assignments
 Provide coaching and training
 Help them move from “good to great”
 Tell them they are valued
 Listen to their ideas
 Praise their accomplishments
 Trust them
 Individual Development Plan
Poor performance, limited potential

1. Who are these people?

These employees are the individuals with low potential coupled with low performance. They are
also considered as Deadwood or Iceberg of the organization. They underperform and don’t
show any scope for improvement.

2. What challenges do they experience?

 They are not able to perform their job

 They might feel that they are in the wrong job
 They also feel unnoticed
 They are afraid of confrontation with their supervisors

3. What challenges do they pose?

 Such people stand in the way of the advancement of more talented employees
 They hire other low potential employees, which lowers the performance bar across the board
 They tend to be poor role models who encourage a low-performer mentality among their peers
and direct reports
 They can engender a culture of mediocrity which repels highly talented and ambitious people
 They are unwilling to improve their performance

4. What would be the appropriate strategy to manage these people?

 Provide them with clearly defined goals

 Create a prescribed path and timeline for achieving those goals
 Be explicit about the ways in which they must improve
 Be willing to coach and provide candid feedback
 Use a performance management approach, not a developmental approach
 Improvement action plan vs. an IDP
 Clarify expectations
 Try to find them a different position in your organization where they may be more successful
 After trying all of the above, after a “reasonable” amount of time, move the person out of the
role. Dismiss or move to individual contributor role

Poor performance, high potential

1. Who are these people?

These are the kind of employees who are completely wasted in an organization. They are the
people with high potential but deliver low performance. This scenario requires external
intervention and a heart to heart with the employee and the manager can yield good results.
They are also considered as ‘Problem Children’.

2. What challenges do they experience?

 They might not be satisfied with the job because of which they are unable to harness their full
potential
 They believe that they have not been appreciated for their contribution in the organization
 They might have some issue with their supervisors

3. What challenges do they pose?

 They are not willing to learn any new skill for their advancement
 They hardly seek out new types of information to improve them
 They are reluctant to learn from their mistakes
 They do not take trainings seriously

4. What would be the appropriate strategy to manage these people?

 Counsel, build trust and understand their issues

 Confirm and acknowledge potential
 Explore and agree ways to utilize and develop identified potential via fitting tasks and
responsibilities, linked with and perhaps dependent on performance improvement
 Explore attachment to backbone or star mentors and coaches
 Find out the root cause of poor performance and together develop an action plan to improve
 Consider moving the high potential to a different role (may have been a poor fit)
 Provide additional support, resources
 After a “reasonable” period of time, if performance does not improve, then re-examine your
potential assessment
Good/average performance, limited potential

1. Who are these people?

These are people with specific talents as they show higher performance as compared to their
potential. They may have reached their full career potential so here the talent management
team can keep them engaged, focused and motivated to get the desired results.

2. What challenges do they experience?

 They are not skilled enough to perform their job successfully

 They are not taken seriously

3. What challenges do they pose?

 Their efforts should be recognized properly

 They are job-hoppers
 It is difficult to keep them motivated for a longer period of time

4. What would be the appropriate strategy to manage these people?

 Focus more on competency gaps that will move them from limited to moderate potential
 Set up frank conversations to find out what they would like to be doing, and what drives them to
do their best
 Try to address their needs and desires—and eliminate obstacles as best you can
 Combination of performance management, training, and coaching to help them move from “OK
to good”
 Provide honest feedback about their opportunities for advancement if asked
 To move them in the right direction, you’ll have to provide them with the right growth
opportunities

Poor Performance Moderate Potential

1. Who are these people?

The employees having average potential but showing low performance fall under this category
of “Dilemma”. They can perform better if given proper opportunities and motivation.

2. What challenges do they experience?

 They lack ownership

 They are not able to upgrade as per the job requirement
 They are unable to harness their full potential

3. What challenges do they pose?

 They do not fall in line with the changes in the organization

 They do not improve themselves as per the job requirement
 They lack willingness to take on additional responsibilities
 They are reluctant to learn from their mistakes

4. What would be the appropriate strategy to manage these people?

 Focus is on boarding, orientation, relationship building

 Provide a peer mentor
 Combination of performance management, training, and coaching to help them move from
“poor to good”
 To move them in the right direction, you’ll have to provide them with the right growth
opportunities
 Set up frank conversations to find out what they would like to be doing, and what drives them to
do their best
 Try to address their needs and desires—and eliminate obstacles as best you can