I recently wrote about Situational Leadership, and the ways to approach varying levels of skill and motivation on your team. There is one combination of skill and motivation that I think requires some extra attention and thought from the manager. 

As I wrote in my earlier post, “someone with a lot of skill but low motivation is likely struggling with burnout, or may be distracted due to personal issues at home. This person knows the job and has proven that she can do it well, but her performance may be slacking lately. She would benefit from support from her manager, not necessarily direction.”

Figuring out how to recognize and respond to someone with high skill but low motivation takes thought. When you first notice a person's work starting to dip in quality or a person’s behavior in meetings starting to become more reserved, it can be tempting to see these as task problems. This person is not doing her job well. However, if you address the issue by focusing on her tasks, you’re missing the mark as a leader. 

The shortsighted leader will see her performance as the problem. The big picture leader will see her performance as an indicator of motivation, not skill. Therefore, you don’t need to spend time retraining her on how to do her job. She knows how to do it. You know she knows how to do it. She knows you know she knows how to do it. 

Instead, take some time to check in with her. Ask her what’s going on. Be open to what she says. Maybe she’s been in the same role for 3 years and the work is emotionally taxing. Or maybe she has a sick parent whose deteriorating health is consuming her thoughts. 

You don’t need to become her therapist, but you can acknowledge concern about her. She may be aware that her work has taken a downward turn and can help you understand how she can start turning it around. If she hasn’t noticed her work is compromised, gently highlight a few instances. Make sure you tell her that you recognize these instances as exceptions to her typically strong performance. 

From this conversation, you can come up with a plan to support her. Perhaps she acknowledges needing to take some time to care for her parent, and after a few weeks will be back to her usual performance. Or you develop some burnout prevention strategies and support her in creating a stronger work-life balance. Remember to keep the conversation supportive, yet structured. The goal is to have her feel supported by you, but also to help you get a grasp of how and when her performance will turn around.

How do you approach people on your team with high skill and low motivation? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.