It’s a simple reality that teams can almost always get better, faster results than individuals working alone – as long as the team members are aligned, focused, respectful of one another, and have the skills to get the job done.
Readiness is defined by their ability and willingness to own and perform the task on hand. As the leader, you have to determine the level of readiness of each individual player in your team. The leader’s effectiveness is impacted by one major element: the team players! In order to clarify the level of each individual’s performance, one has to pre-determine the criteria for each player’s ability and willingness – their readiness. Let us agree that readiness is dynamic. After that is established, what would be the interplay of Ability and Willingness?
Ability to perform the task, for this purpose, has nothing to do with physical and or intellectual plateau. Ability is defined by the fact that the individual player was fully trained on the task (and the goal) and that ultimately they have performed the task(s) in the presence of a manager who verifies that the person was able to perform the task 100%. In short, ability is defined as knowledge, experience and skill. Here’s a tip: Be careful to steer away from the pitfall of confusing Ability with Enthusiasm.
Willingness is defined as acting or ready to act gladly; eagerly compliantly. Managers have to be careful not to diagnose insecurity as unwillingness. Ability and Willingness are equal components of the readiness model; they interact with each other, influencing the status of the model. Your top performer is able and willing, and they are the one with top knowledge and motivation. They are the one with experience, skill, confidence and commitment.
Sadly we must define the “able but unwilling (or insecure), next to this tier as well. He or she is can be in dire need of positive, re-enforcing feedback because they quite possibly may be lacking experience and / or confidence. Perhaps they are a ‘newbie” or someone with performance slipping, or even afraid. We must not forget the possibility of an employee being upset or distracted about things off the job.
Unable but Willing. You can very easy turn the tables on the next performer, the unable, but willing. This team member is in need of training, coaching, observing and celebrating the success of each step that they reach toward the goal of being able. Do not forget that imparting knowledge does not guarantee skill; you need to draw the line if they cannot acquire the necessary skills.
Unable and Unwilling. Special attention must be paid to this last player on the team, one who is unable AND unwilling. Before closing the book, the leader must ensure that the individual player has received extensive and intensive training, and is not intimidated by the task (or that, perhaps, he is a procrastinator).
Remember the old axiom that you hire slowly and “prune the deadwood” – fast – and use the above process; strive so that every player in your team will be under the “Able and Willing” umbrella.
Thomas Antonopoulos
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