Does 2x2 work?

If you subscribe to the skill-will matrix, it will say that your role as a manager is to move your employees to the NE corner of the matrix where the employee is highly able and willing to do the job and, once you got an employee there, to stay out of his/her way.

But does the skill-will matrix work? I think not. I think there is an important element missing in the approach. Consider this. Have you ever had an employee who is highly motivated (Willing)and skilled (Able) but is suddenly not performing as expected? What happened here? The difference is Engagement. I think it is not only important to have Able and Willing employees but it is necessary to keep them Engaged. We miss the best of performance of so many qualified people because we fail to engage them in the right way.

This is what I call the power of AWE - able, willing and engaged. So next time you think you have moved the employee up the ability-willingness continuum, ask yourself if you are doing enough to keep them engaged. Believe it the result will be much better than just staying out of the way of the able-willing employee as this famous 2x2 matrix suggests.