Most leaders have direct reports who are engaged, high performers, and a joy to work with. But what about when you have a challenging direct report? What if they have a communication style that rubs you the wrong way? Perhaps they don’t pick up on things as quickly as you expect or would like? Maybe they are lacking motivation? Or even lacking technical skills to do the next assignment.
I work with leaders to find the best tools, resources, and internal wherewithal to successfully lead difficult people. Three tools/frameworks helpful in leading challenging people are behavioral profiles, the ARC Motivation Model, and the Skill/Will Matrix.
Behavioral Profiles
There are many personality and behavioral assessment tools that are very effective in creating self-awareness and understanding of others. Some are focused on the natural born tendencies or personality traits, while others focus on behaviors. They range in complexity and many require a facilitated debrief. I prefer the DISC assessment for its simplicity and wide range of uses. Here is a summary of the Everything DiSC Workplace Profile Report.
- Identifies the tendencies for each of the four behaviors types – Direct, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness.
- Identifies priorities, motivators, fears and noticeable behaviors for each of the four styles.
- Provides additional information to better understand each of the four styles.
- Provides strategies to increase effectiveness in communicating with each of the four styles.
The DISC styles are straightforward and observe so conversations and development can happen more easily. Below are descriptions of the styles.
- Dominance – Direct, decisive, results oriented
- Influence – Enthusiastic, persuasive, inspiring
- Steadiness – Team player, understanding, stable
- Compliance – Analytical, accurate, precise
One of the leaders I worked with took the DISC assessment and encouraged his team to do the same. We debriefed their reports so everyone understood how they each approached decision making and communication. As a high D, he was driven to be decisive and create results and he was a very direct communicator. His team realized his D’ness was simply his style and not intended to offend. He recognized he needed to adjust his approach when dealing with his team members of different styles for more effective communication. He also realized he needed to get input from other styles when making decisions so they would be more balanced and well thought out. His is a perfect example of how to use a tool like DISC, to work with differing styles.
ARC Motivation Model
The ARC motivation model, referred to as the self-determination theory, speaks to internally sourced (intrinsic) motivation and is made up of the components – autonomy, relatedness, and competence. This model is very effective in helping leaders understand how to influence motivation in their employees. When leaders are aware of what drives employees, they can create opportunities for intrinsic motivation to fuel positive action. Here are examples of what each component could look like.
AUTONOMY: If you have an employee that is motivated by autonomy, you can give them opportunities to choose specific assignments or tasks they want to execute and provide a high level of creative license and accountability for the results and outcomes.
RELATEDNESS: For employees inspired by relatedness, ensuring they have plenty of opportunities to connect with and create with others is helpful in keeping them motivated. Connecting with others through collaboration and project work, as well as socially, taps into their motivation.
COMPETENCE: Giving employees opportunities to learn something new and become subject matter experts is highly effective for people with a drive toward competence. Stretch assignments and ability to showcase their expertise is extremely motivating for people in this category.
Having open discussions about motivators empowers you as the leader to tailor development opportunities for your team. It also empowers your team members to ask for opportunities that will ultimately drive their motivation.
Skill/Will Matrix
The Skill/Will four quadrant matrix (see below) is a great conversation piece that allows your direct reports to self-identify where they land in the matrix so you can structure development conversations and strategies accordingly.
Below are descriptors of each of the quadrants.
- DIRECT: Employees who find themselves in the low will/low skill quadrant need direction and direct feedback, so they are building confidence and willingness to continue forward as they develop their skills.
- SUPPORT: Direct reports who have high will but low skill need tools, resources, and support for skill development.
- ENCOURAGE: Individuals in the low will/high skill quadrant benefit most from encouragement and tying the task to their specific motivators for increased willingness to engage with the task.
- EMPOWER: Employees in the high will/high skill quadrant are motivated to perform and also have the skills to succeed with minimal engagement from their leader.
Leaders I work with, use the Skill/Will matrix to identify areas of development and create strategies to overcome challenges with motivation.
Leading challenging people can sometimes be a struggle but with the right tools and resources, you can navigate it with greater ease and effectiveness. If you are struggling with leading challenging people or are looking to develop yourself and your team, let’s connect. I would love to support you in any way I can.
Blessings and gratitude,
