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Chapter 12

Coaching Your Stars, Steadies, and Strugglers

by Jim Grinnell

Let’s say you have three direct reports: Cindy always exceeds her numbers, rarely asks for your help, and often takes initiative on new projects. Performancewise, she’s every manager’s dream, although she can be abrasive and dismissive of her colleagues. Compare her with Ed, a pleasant colleague who gets the job done competently. His attitude is “a day’s work for a day’s pay,” and for him that day ends at 5:00 pm. And then there’s Sam. He’s very likeable, but he can’t seem to get things right. It’s heartbreaking—he stays late every day and takes work home on the weekends just to perform at a subpar level.

How do you coach Cindy, Ed, and Sam? Should you give them equal time? ...