Can't, Won't And Performance Management

Mijn vrouw, aka The Brains of the Outfit, recently identified a condition sometimes known as Clueless in Columbus, found among those who regularly don't get it. No matter how simple the concept, they just fail to grasp the gist of things.

These unfortunates she refers to as "the gistless". Our workplaces are full of the gistless, and they often baffle their supervisors, who are charged with making the right things happen - on time, under budget, and seamlessly.

A companion condition all too often is included in a package deal with gistlessnes, rendering the subject listless. In classical performance management parlance, these two are known as "can't do" and "won't do". "Won't do" can sometimes be overcome with a Big Gulp of motivation, but the odds are not encouraging, and a sugar high is no substitute, in the long run, for a genuine epiphany.

"Can't do" might be a matter of training, or of finding the right fit of skills and assignment, but can be limited if accompanied by "won't do". The leader's job is to figure out the won't do/can't do balance in the equation, assess and apply remedies and mitigations, and know when to let the afflicted sleep with the fishes.

I hope you got the gist of that . . .