When a team member underperforms, your instinct is to blame the person. “He just doesn’t get it.” “She isn’t working hard enough.”
This is a Lazy Diagnosis. As the Architect of the system, you must identify exactly where the signal is breaking down. There are only 4 reasons why a capable person fails.
The 4 Gaps of Performance
1. The Gap of Clarity (They don’t know WHAT)
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The Symptom: They work hard but produce the wrong thing.
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The Cause: You gave vague instructions (“Make it pop,” “Handle it”).
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The Fix: Define the “Definition of Done.” Show them a finished example.
2. The Gap of Competence (They don’t know HOW)
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The Symptom: They procrastinate or produce low-quality work slowly.
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The Cause: They lack the specific skill or workflow.
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The Fix: Training. Or, if the gap is too wide, replacement.
3. The Gap of Friction (They CAN’T)
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The Symptom: They are frustrated, waiting on approvals, or fighting bad software.
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The Cause: Your system has high “Organizational Drag.”
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The Fix: Remove the bureaucracy. Buy the tool. Kill the meeting.
4. The Gap of Volition (They WON’T)
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The Symptom: They have the skill and the tools, but they do the bare minimum.
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The Cause: Misaligned incentives or a cultural mismatch.
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The Fix: This is the only scenario where you use “Motivation” (or firing).
The Diagnostic Protocol Before you fire someone, run the diagnostic:
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Did I explain it clearly? (Clarity)
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Can they actually do it? (Competence)
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Are they blocked by my rules? (Friction)
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Do they care? (Volition)
If you haven’t fixed the first three, the failure is yours, not theirs.
#DhandheKaFunda: A bad system will beat a good person every time. Fix the road before you blame the driver.