Skill Sharpener Item #16

I either coach or arrange for someone else to coach reluctant and/or underperforming participants before they can compromise my project schedule.

Outstanding! Here are some of the benefits you've probably received because you minimize floundering and/or sandbagging time with a coaching intervention:

By distinguishing between participants who can do the work but won't and those who are both reluctant and underskilled ('won't and can't), you avoid pushing or having a senior person push someone who can't perform no matter how 'motivated' s/he becomes.

You build skills and desire (either 'want' or 'must') quickly through coaching and you demonstrate to others that you'll invest some of your scarce time to help someone succeed.

When you aren't the right person to coach a 'can't/won't' participant, either because (a) you're not an expert, (b) you don't have enough time to do it right or (c) you might overwhelm the participant, you make a 'best time use' decision by calling in a more appropriate expert. Time is saved, results are produced and several lessons are learned.