What Do You Do With “C” Players
I was recently asking a sharp business leader, Jim, about some of the ways he leads his organization when the topic of “C” players came up. For simplicity let’s say that “A” and “B” players produce the greatest results and have the greatest overall positive impact. “D” & “F” players are just the opposite. They perform poorly, perhaps they are in the wrong role, etc. Bottom line – “D” & “F” players are not moving the organization forward. Most leaders would generally agree on how to lead these different levels (A/B, D/F) of team members. ( I will save that post for the future). Where the greatest differences between leaders occur are the “C” players. For most leaders, a “C” performer is not good enough for the team/organization to win/accomplish its mission. Many times the “C” producer is a great person with strong organizational relationships. Often they share team values, possess a positive attitude and work hard. So what do you do?
- Coach them – hoping they can get it to “B” level
- Live with it /justify that they make the team better relationally
- Help them find a better fit inside or outside the organization (in other words, move them off of your team)
- A combination of the above
- Other
If you lead a team/organization you will have to answer this question. I would love to hear your thoughts.
What do you do with “C” players?