Every leader at some point will need to decide whether to let a struggling employee go or whether the employee can be successfully coached.
In a Fast Company article, Jennifer Dulski, founder and CEO of Rising Team, discusses her CORVETT framework, which is a set of questions designed to help leaders make these tough decisions in a fair, consistent way.
Dulski shares the following set of questions, explaining if you can answer “yes” to most of them, it is a signal to invest in coaching someone; if the answer is “no” for most, it might be time to let the employee go.
- C—Contrition: Does the employee recognize his or her actions are a problem and is willing to change? Someone who does not acknowledge an issue is unlikely to commit to improvement.
- O—Ownership: Will the employee take responsibility for owning his or her performance? It is crucial the individual feels a sense of ownership for his or her development path.
- R—Repetition: Does the employee repeat the same mistakes or bad behavior? Such a pattern can signal significant challenges with learning or adaptability.
- V—Values: Do the employee’s core values align with those of the team and company? Although skills can be coached, values are ingrained, and a misalignment could signal a long-term issue.
- E—Expectations: As a leader, did you set clear and measurable expectations and provide the tools and support the employee needs to succeed? Setting clear expectations is crucial.
- T—Talents: Does the employee’s role align with his or her natural strengths and talents? Reassigning someone to a role that better matches their skills often can turn a struggling employee into a strong performer.
- T—Timing: Can this wait, or do you need to take immediate action? Some situations are urgent and do not leave time for significant coaching. In other situations, patience can produce long-term benefits.
