What is a skill will matrix?
For leaders, the Skill Will Matrix is an invaluable tool for talent management, employee engagement, and performance management. When it comes to worker retention, productivity, and engagement, managers are essential. Performance and engagement are thus strongly impacted by managers’ interactions with their teams.
With the use of the Skill Will Matrix, managers can tailor their interactions to accomplish both goals with simplicity and efficiency. However, what is the Skill Will Matrix exactly, and how can you apply it to improve performance both within your organization and among your employees?
The Skill Will Matrix is a method for comparing employees’ willingness to undertake a task to their level of skill in performing the assignment well. Plotting for this is done on a 2×2 grid. Every quadrant outlines the appropriate way for the manager to interact with or oversee the workers who fit into that particular quadrant.
Quadrant I
High Skill, High Will: This individual possesses the abilities and drive required to be successful in the workplace.
Talent management tactic: Assign duties to these people, giving them freedom and the chance to oversee initiatives since they are likely to manage obligations well.
Quadrant II
Low Skill, High Will: Although the worker lacks some necessary talents, they possess the drive to get better.
Talent management tactic: Help them grow by giving them opportunity for further education and training.
Quadrant III
Low Skill, Low Will: This employee lacks both the drive to become more skilled and the necessary talents to perform.
Talent management tactic: Provide them with assignments that are precise, well-organized, and closely monitored to guarantee adherence and promote skill improvement.
Quadrant IV
High Skill, Low Will: This individual is capable of carrying out their job duties, but they lack the drive to do so.
Talent management tactic: To increase engagement, excite people by matching assignments to their hobbies or professional objectives and highlighting their accomplishments.
Managers regularly apply this 2×2 matrix to evaluate employee performance, according to the World of Work. “Will”—willingness, zeal, and self-motivation—is positioned on the vertical matrix of the matrix, while “skill”—core capability—is positioned on the horizontal. Motivation is correlated with willingness.
To put it briefly, managers can use the Skill Will Model to identify how to best support each person in enhancing their performance. This ultimately results in an engaged and motivated workforce that is ready and prepared to assist you in achieving your desired outcomes and business objectives.
You may train managers on how to use this matrix and other performance management techniques as an HR leader to help them engage their workforce.
An explanation of the four sections of the skill will matrix
Let’s examine the Skill Will Matrix’s four quadrants, the traits of the workers in each, and the corresponding management approaches in greater detail.
High Will, High Skill in Quadrant I
- Has the ability and motivation to execute
- Looks for new opportunities for growth
- Eager to pick up new knowledge and abilities
- Strong drive and motivation
- Exceptional worker and achiever
This type of employee requires more mentoring than coaching. Encourage and enable them to take on a self-coaching role, but remain accessible to them at all times in case they require direction or advice.
Low Skill, High Will in Quadrant II
- Has a strong drive to finish things yet is not proficient in doing so
- Intense drive to be the best in all they do
- Usually new to the field or level of work
Provide this worker with as many chances as you can for skill development, and encourage them to take calculated risks so they may gain experience.
Low Will, Low Skill in Quadrant III
- Not motivated or equipped to perform
- Maybe they’ve failed in the past and are scared to try again
- May not be a good fit for the team or organization, or they may be in the incorrect role
- Could be reluctant to seek assistance
It will take the greatest amount of time and effort to work with someone in this area. Establish precise guidelines and due dates, then keep a careful eye on their development. Tell them to ask for assistance if they need it.
Low Will, High Skill in Quadrant IV
- Has the ability to execute yet is unmotivated
- Maybe at a standstill
- Possibly in search of a fresh challenge after a recent management or team change
To increase engagement, find out what drives this employee and then connect it to their position. Collaborate to eliminate anything in their position or work environment that is demotivating them.
The Skill Will Matrix’s Origins
The Skill Will Matrix has been used by organizations for many years, which attests to its usefulness in helping managers monitor the work of those who report to them. This tool is based on the situational leadership paradigm developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the 1970s.
As the name implies, situational leadership is when management and leadership adapt their approaches to fit the particular circumstances and workers they are working with.
It outlines several leadership behavior patterns that are adapted to the different stages of followers’ readiness:
- Directing: This style of leadership is best suited for followers who are eager but lack specialized knowledge since the leader gives clear instructions and keeps a close eye on performance.
- Coaching: The leader offers support, promotes two-way communication, and assists followers who are trying to develop their talents become more self-assured and motivated while still giving them guidance.
- Supporting: The leader shares decision-making responsibilities with followers and helps and encourages them to complete tasks. This is appropriate for followers who are capable but not dedicated.
- Delegating: When a leader gives less direction, followers take on more accountability for making decisions and carrying out tasks. It works best with really capable and driven followers.
Even though this matrix is occasionally criticized for being overly straightforward, it can still be a useful tool in helping you identify the optimal management strategy for your staff.
What distinguishes willpower from skill?
The ability for workers to perform their jobs well is referred to as “skill.” Through practice and education, people gain new abilities. The four competence levels of novice, intermediate, advanced, and expert can also be used to quantify skills.
“Will” denotes an employee’s level of motivation to carry out a task or carry out a position. Employee will can be influenced by a variety of factors, including skill level, career goals, team and corporate culture, and personal life. These lists make it clear that managers must have close communication with their employees in order to learn about the abilities and competency levels of each team member as well as the motivational factors that influence their willingness to work.
ExecVision asserts that skill is objective. You can measure against specific KPIs and industry best practices. Conversely, Will is more individualized and best understood through one-on-one interactions and observation. However, a personality test, such as the Hogan Assessment, can be useful in identifying an employee’s “bright-side,” “dark-side,” and “motivations, values, and preferences” in order to reduce the ambiguity in determining “Will.”
Different performance management techniques will be applied based on where staff members are plotted on the matrix according to their ability and willingness levels.
Uses for the Skill Will Matrix
The best use cases for skill will matrixes could be during organizational transitions. The subsequent changes to the organization depict its effectiveness:
- Training and development for employees
By determining an employee’s position on the Skill Will Matrix, managers may customize chances for learning and growth to meet their specific needs. An employee with low skill and high will, for instance, would profit from technical training, whereas an employee with high skill and low will might gain from motivating campaigns.
- Managing performance
By distinguishing between skill and motivational weaknesses, the Skill WIll Matrix can assist managers in determining the underlying reason of performance problems. This makes interventions more focused, enabling individuals with poor skills or motivation to get coaching and engage in skill-building activities. These are boosting techniques for people who possess great competence but little will.
- M&A
This could help a manager better manage and inspire the combined team members following an acquisition or merger.
- A new supervisor
An external manager is brought in to oversee an already-existing staff. This tool will help the manager better manage as well as understand the work preferences and skill sets of the newly appointed team during the first few months of employment. By doing so, you can avoid making early mistakes while selecting the right interaction style and get results quickly.
- Reorganizing the company
After an organizational reform, there can be fewer job prospects in some business units but more in others. Leaders may retain key personnel and make decisions that support changing company objectives with the aid of a skill will matrix.
- New members of the team
Acquiring knowledge of a new team member’s abilities, work patterns, and learning preferences takes time. Managers can gain a better grasp of an employee’s motivations, communication preferences, and leadership styles by using the Skill Will Matrix.
- Improved leadership
By employing the proper talent management approach, managers can better engage with and improve their staff. These discussions enable the discovery of staff members’ latent strengths, allowing managers to position them for success.
- Agile projects
The process of choosing participants for agile projects can be difficult and even competitive. The Skill Will Matrix can be customized to work in tandem with the Competency Matrix to assist leadership in finding the most qualified and driven workers to form agile teams that produce results on schedule.
What is the process for completing a skill will matrix?
These are some important steps to take when completing an employee’s skill matrix. In order to effectively support and guide their staff, managers can learn how to do this from HR.
- Determine the criteria: Establish the precise standards by which your employees’ talent and willingness will be evaluated. For instance, you may use technical proficiency, work history, or quality of prior work to gauge skill. You could look for techniques to gauge initiative, commitment, and zeal at work in order to gauge will. It is imperative that these standards are customized so they correspond with the various tasks and duties that are assigned to the team.
- Evaluate each employee: After you’ve decided on your standards for willingness and ability, you can compare each member of the team to them. As much objectivity as possible should be maintained during this evaluation, which may include performance information, project results, peer review comments, self-evaluations, and firsthand observations. On the Skill Will Matrix, place every worker in one of the four quadrants.
- Set up calibration sessions: During these meetings, managers can talk to HR or their colleagues about their assessments to make sure the criteria are applied fairly and consistently. This lessens prejudice by bringing the evaluations from various teams and departments into alignment.
- Plan development strategies: Select appropriate talent management techniques for each quadrant that will aid in the growth of that particular group of workers. For instance, goal-setting, motivation-boosting, and mentorship.
- Review and make adjustments: Analyze your employees’ positions in the matrix as you try to help them grow. The objective is to assist every team member in moving closer to the High Skill, High Will quadrant, which indicates their ability and drive.
Case study: Hiring a new manager
Melanie recently started working for ABC Company as the HR Manager, leading a group of four people. Elizabeth has been the team’s recruiter for four years. Previously, Elizabeth spent four years as an HR generalist at a different company. The HR Coordinator at ABC Company is Sam. He started working for the team a year and a half ago, right after earning his business administration BA. Having joined the organization six years ago, Polly is the Senior HR Generalist. Next up is Delilah, who has worked as the Payroll Officer for the past eighteen months.
After spending roughly two months working with and watching the team, Melanie wants to learn more about the group’s ability and level of drive to complete tasks. HR suggests that she use the Skill Will Matrix and follow these steps:
- She goes over the last three years’ worth of performance reviews for the team.
- She asks important stakeholders for input regarding the performance of the team and the individual talents of each member.
- She looks over each person’s Hogan Assessment findings.
- She has one-on-one meetings with team members to go over the reviews, stakeholder comments, the results of the Hogan Assessment, and to hear about their personal motivations for involvement, goals, and challenges.
Filling Out the Skill Matrix
Melanie completed the Skill-Will Matrix as shown below after going through the previous steps:
- Polly – High Will, High Skill in Quadrant I
- Delilah – High Will, Low Skill in Quadrant II
- Sam – Low Will, Low Skill in Quadrant III
- Elizabeth – High Skill, Low Will in Quadrant IV
Polly: High Will and Skill: Melanie discovered that Polly was an ambitious, high achiever who required minimal help with her task. Polly had submitted an application for Melanie’s manager position. She lacked managerial experience, however. Melanie made the decision to push, support, and encourage her.
She designated Polly as the peer coach and occasionally has Polly follow her around while she oversees the team. As the company expanded, Melanie saw that Polly’s background, drive, and personality made her an invaluable asset to both the team and herself. If Polly left the company, it would be a great loss.
Elizabeth: High Skill but Low Will: Elizabeth could be a negative influence. Melanie must determine the cause of her poor motivation and devise strategies to inspire and encourage her. She discovers that once Elizabeth believes she has mastered a task, she becomes bored. Every three to four years, Elizabeth has moved jobs or companies.
The HR Director and Melanie confer, and they both conclude that HR Business Partners will soon be required due to the organization’s expansion. Elizabeth’s high level of skill, experiences, and personality make her an excellent HR Business Partner. They informed Elizabeth of this, and she was excited at the possibility of taking on this new task. Melanie started putting together a 12-month HRBP development schedule for her.
Delilah: High Will but Low Skill: She has an optimistic outlook on life and has cultivated a good rapport with the team and employees. Delilah, however, need more direction and performance coaching. She doesn’t pay enough attention to details and is easily sidetracked. The HR Director becomes frustrated as a result of these repeated errors. Melanie develops a strategy to hone her basic skills.
She indicates that Delilah should go to payroll administration training. During the week of paycheck preparation, she also spends a lot of time sitting with Melanie and giving frequent comments on the process itself. Melanie creates a procedural guideline and checklist with explicit rules to assist Delilah in being more accurate and focused. These measures not only bridge the gaps in Delilah’s talents but also improve the working environment and reputation of the HR division.
Sam: Low Will and Skill: Sam is an underperformer. As a result, Melanie gives him a work plan, SMART goals, and weekly check-in meetings. But before Sam completes the Skill Will Matrix, Melanie finds out from their talk that Sam truly wants to work in marketing and communications. He applied for the HR Coordinator position in order to get into the company, gain job experience, and make money.
Melanie is speaking with the HR Director in private about Sam’s leaving plan. Even though he has a junior position, he is essential to the HR Department’s and all workers’ ability to get HR services. Having someone with the necessary ability and motivation to continuously deliver high-quality service is crucial.
By empowering, inspiring, mentoring, and directing her team, Melanie was able to tailor the management of her group to meet their demands for motivation and performance.
In sum
In short, the Skill Will Matrix serves as a useful framework and a point of origin for choosing the right employee performance coaching methods. With the use of this performance management tool, you can identify and close skills gaps, capitalize on employee strengths, and inspire staff members according to their beliefs and preferences.