Skill and will
A person's individual capability and motivation are directly linked to their willingness to assume more responsibility. Does the employee have the necessary knowledge and skill to do the delegated work? It's important for a manager to be confident from both perspectives.
The skill €“ experience, knowledge, training, understanding, and role perception. Does the employee have adequate confidence, commitment, and comfort with the assigned task?
The will €“ desire to achieve, incentives, security and confidence.
If either of these are absent, responsible delegation cannot take place.
The skill/will matrix introduced by Max Landsberg in his book The Tao of Coaching can be used to identify the most appropriate management or influencing style when delegating or assigning additional responsibility to an employee.
Low will/low skill (direct)
The employee is generally new to a role, task or project. They could have tried before, but failed, and this has lowered their confidence. The manager's objective is to:
- Build the will
- Build the skill
- Sustain the will.
It is essential that the manager builds will as a priority, providing clear information around what is expected, identifying employee motives and selling the success story. This is key to building motivation. The next step is to develop the skill with clear information, explanation and guidance. The manager works as a coach and sustains the will by providing frequent feedback and praise.
As will and skill are developed, supervision should be close and controlled to ensure milestones and deadlines are achieved.
High will/low skill (guide)
The employee is enthusiastic and is new to a specific role, task or project. The manager's objective is to:
- Build the skill
- Sustain the will.
The manager should invest time in explaining clearly what is expected and provide the tools, techniques and the necessary skill and knowledge to undertake any new responsibility. In this quadrant the manager is a coach, providing explanation, answering questions and ensuring ongoing feedback. It is important to allow early mistakes so that learning is acquired. An environment free from risk and blame is key. As the employee develops will and skill, the manager can then relax supervision and control.