We have several long-term employees who are struggling to hit their numbers despite working incredibly hard. During our quarterly session reviews, how do we evaluate whether their performance gap is a temporary skill deficit we can train or a fundamental misalignment with their innate strengths?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

During our quarterly session reviews, we use a structured approach to differentiate between a temporary skill deficit and a fundamental talent mismatch. We base this evaluation on the principles in Marcus Buckingham's StrengthsFinder framework, which separates learned skills from innate, enduring talents. First, we evaluate the individual using our core values and the GWC™ tool. We ask whether they truly get, want, and have the capacity to do their job. If they have the capacity but are still struggling, we look at their natural wiring. Talents are recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that are difficult to change. Skills, on the other hand, are learned proficiencies that can be acquired through training. If the employee lacks the innate talent required for the seat, no amount of training will turn that weakness into a strength. In those cases, we must use our session day to make a hard decision, either repositioning them to a seat that aligns with their natural talents or transitioning them out of the company. By focusing on innate strengths rather than trying to fix unchangeable weaknesses, we build a healthier, more productive leadership team that can scale with your business.