1-on-1 SLO nonperformers

Ask yourself:

👉 If the answer is “no,” the issue may be system design, not the person.if you want to go past surface answers and really tap into what’s going on in their head, here are 3 of the most powerful questions you can ask:

“If I weren’t here and you had to make this decision on your own, what would you do?”

👉 Cuts through dependence and reveals confidence, clarity, and true thought process.

“What’s the part of this project where you feel least clear or most stuck — even if you haven’t said it out loud yet?”

👉 Invites honesty and vulnerability, beyond polite “all good” answers.

“If you had full ownership of the result (not just the tasks), what would you do differently?”

👉 Exposes whether they see themselves as an owner or executor, and reveals hidden blockers.

Add their answers/your notes here.

Situational Leadership (Hersey–Blanchard) teaches that people don’t need the same kind of leadership all the time — their needs change depending on skill and will. If someone isn’t proactive, first diagnose where they are:

High Will, Low Skill (Motivated but untrained)

They want to do well but don’t know how yet.

🚩 Clues: They try, but make mistakes, ask lots of how-to questions, or wait for instructions.

💡 What to do: Step into a coach/trainer role → teach, demonstrate, guide. Give them safe practice and lots of feedback.

High Skill, Low Will (Capable but unmotivated)

They know how, but aren’t taking initiative.

🚩 Clues: They do the minimum, procrastinate, or disengage from challenges they could handle.

💡 What to do: Create ownership → give them responsibility for an outcome, not just tasks. Explore their “why.” Sometimes lack of will = lack of meaning.

Low Will, Low Skill (Stuck and disengaged)

They don’t know how, and they don’t want to.

🚩 Clues: Avoidance, repeated underperformance, little interest in learning.

💡 What to do: Provide structure and clarity → break work into smaller steps, check in more frequently, set clear standards. If the pattern persists, it may be a values fit issue.

High Will, High Skill (Your dream state)

They know how and want to do it.

🚩 Clues: They self-start, anticipate needs, and rarely need guidance.

💡 What to do: Delegate & empower → give them full ownership, stretch goals, and space to lead others and ensure they trust and agree with the vision and their career path.

1️⃣ Gauge Skill (Do they know how?)

“If I weren’t here, how confident would you feel handling this from start to finish?”

“What part of this project feels clear and doable vs. confusing or risky?”

“If you had to teach this to someone else, how comfortable would you be?”

👉 Their answers reveal confidence gaps. If they hesitate, they might be in low skill.

2️⃣ Gauge Will (Do they want to?)

“When you think about this work, what excites you most? What drains you?”

“On a scale of 1–10, how motivated do you feel to take ownership here?”

“If you could choose, would you want more responsibility in this area, or less?”

👉 Adapt your style instead of expecting the same behavior from everyone.

After choosing the quadrant, ask yourself:

“What’s one thing I could do differently this week to match their current need?”

Reflect:

👉 Write down 1 way you can increase their sense of ownership.

👉 Don’t interrogate. Be curious. Listen more than you speak.

Give your perspective:

Document agreed actions.