Making Sure Skills Fit the Job Requirements

You don’t need better people. You need better pattern recognition. Over the years, I’ve seen it too many times: Leaders label someone “difficult” ↳ When that person is simply in the wrong role. Every employee brings a gift: -Vision. -Service. -Teaching. -Leadership. -Connection. -Encouragement. -Problem-solving. But when those gifts don’t match the job? They get misread as performance issues. The one who challenges every decision? ↳ Might have the gift of vision — they see what's coming before others do. The teammate who jumps in to help before finishing their own work? ↳ Could have the gift of service — they instinctively support the team, even at a cost. The colleague who writes overly detailed instructions? ↳ May hold the gift of teaching — they want others to succeed without confusion. The one who constantly checks in on how people feel? ↳ Likely has the gift of connection — they tune into team dynamics early and deeply. ---Here’s your Monday reset:--- This week, don’t just manage behaviors. Decode and understand them. → Assign the questioner to risk analysis → Give the helper complex systems to support → Let the explainer train new hires → Ask the connector to mediate team friction Misalignment drains energy. But alignment...It multiplies results. What gifts are hiding in plain sight on your team? And what might change if you finally gave them the right work?

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬? Here is a way to figure it out 👇 Over the years, I have had to come up with a quick, systematic way to assess the alignment of my team (sometimes myself). R.I.G.H.T. stands for Role, Impact, Growth, Habits, Teamwork. You can use it to check on five key areas of team fit and effectiveness. 🔹 The R.I.G.H.T. Framework: ✅ R - Role Fit (Are they in the right role?) -Does their work match their strengths? -Are they spending time on high-value work, staying busy, or struggling? -If they left today, would you re-hire them for the same role? If not: Reassign or clarify expectations. ✅ I - Impact (Do they create measurable value?) -Are they consistently delivering results? -Is their work moving the business forward, or just “activity”? (versus accomplishment) -Can they clearly articulate the value they bring to the team? If not: Dig into skills, clarity of goals, or alignment issues within the team. ✅ G - Growth Mindset (Are they improving over time?) -Do they seek feedback and actively learn from mistakes? -Are they developing new skills or stuck in place? -When given challenges, do lean in and engage, or do they pull away? If not: Are they stagnating? Challenge them or set improvement goals, and look at the example you are setting. ✅ H – Habits & Ownership (Do they work effectively?) -Do they take initiative or wait for instructions? -Are they accountable for their work, or do they make excuses? -Do they manage their time and priorities well? If not: Do they need help with accountability? Coach them or set clear goals and involve them in the process including consequences of not delivering. ✅ T - Team Fit (Do they elevate others?) -Do teammates trust and respect them? -Would their peers say they make the team better? -Do they contribute to a positive culture or create friction? If not: They may be a disruptive influence, or hurting morale. Address behaviors or consider other actions. 🔥 Would this system work for you? What would you tweak to make it better? Drop me a comment 👇

Skill Assessment: The Game-Changing 4-Day Blueprint Most teams are playing Career Roulette. Not You. No guessing. No assumptions. Just clarity and action. (Note: If you have not DEFINED the Skills to be Assessed, Start there. - check yesterday’s post for guidance.) Here is the 4-Step playbook. To map Your team's capabilities - Fast! 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 1: 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 (Day 1) Don’t overcomplicate it. Speed + Simplicity = Results. Tap into these 3 feedback channels: • Self-Assessment: What do they believe they are great at? • 360 / Peer Review: What do peers see that they don’t? • Leadership Evaluation: What do you see from the top? Tip: Use a simple 1-5 rating system. No overthinking. Example scorecard for each role: - Technical Proficiency - Customer Service Care - Problem-Solving Speed - Collaborative Potential 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 2: 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (Day 2) Before you collect feedback, lock in these critical details: - Objective: Why are we doing this? - Metrics: What skills are we actually measuring? - Timeline: When will it start and finish? - Analysis: How will we interpret the results? - Next Steps: What will we do with the data? This step prevents confusion and creates alignment. Skipping this step may end up with data overload and no direction. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 3: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (Day 3) Data only works if people are honest. Here’s how you get it: - Anonymize it: People are more honest this way. - Ensure Psychological Safety: No fear of being punished for honesty. - Train Assessors: Consistent evaluation beats biased judgment. With this approach, You will get truth instead of sugar-coated feedback. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 4: 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 & 𝗚𝗮𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 (Day 4) The data is in. Now, take action. Here’s how you do it fast: - Identify Top 3 Skill Strengths & Gaps - Align Skills to Business Goals: Results start here. - Develop an Improvement Plan (more on this tomorrow) This is where good teams become great. You are not just collecting data You are building a team of peak performers. No Team? This blueprint works for personal development too. Which skill is most critical for your team to assess right now? P.S. I just ran this process with a team and found our top development need is Marketing. What is Yours?