The Skill Will matrix is used to assess an individual’s skill level and willingness to perform a specific task. Knowledge of a person’s skill and will can help you to create a plan of action to help them to achieve the desired results.
The Skill Will Matrix helps you identify ways to manage people toward success. The matrix allows you to understand different types of individuals and apply management or coaching techniques that help them perform better.
The skill Will matrix assesses two dimensions; Skill and Will.
Skill: An individual’s capabilities based on his or her experience with the task, training, knowledge, and natural ability.
Will: An individual’s desire to complete a particular task based on attitude, incentives, confidence, and personal feelings about completing the task.
People’s skill and will levels vary along a scale from low to high. The Skill Will matrix is used to identify the person’s combination of skill level and willingness to accomplish the specific task.
The Skill Will matrix is divided into quadrants. Depending on the combination of ability and willingness to perform a task, individuals fall in one of the quadrants on the matrix.
Quadrant 1 – a person who has both skill and will to perform the task. This is often an experienced person who is looking for more opportunities to grow and develop.
Quadrant 2 – a person who has the skill, but not the will and motivation to complete the task. This is often a skilled, experienced person who may have hit a plateau and needs a new challenge.
Quadrant 3 – a person who has neither the skill nor the will to complete the task. This is often a person who has started a new task that they did not desire. However, this may also be a beginner to a task who has low confidence and who is afraid to fail.
Quadrant 4 – a person who has the desire to complete the task, but lacks the necessary skills. Typically this is a person new to a particular task who is enthusiastic, but lacks the skills or knowledge needed.
The Skill Will Matrix is a guide to choosing the best management or coaching style to guide others to success. The matrix helps you match a person’s combination of skill level and willingness to four different management or coaching styles.
Skill Will matrix contains some coaching techniques to utilize based on where the person falls in the matrix.
Often this is an individual who is looking for more opportunities to grow and develop. Therefore, the goal of this style is to empower and stretch them.
Suggestions for empowering:
This group is typically composed of people who are new to a particular task. They are often enthusiastic, but lack the skills or knowledge needed. Therefore, invest time early on in building the skills.
Suggestions for guiding:
This group is often composed of experienced people who may have hit a plateau and need a new challenge. They have the skills and ability, but are not motivated. Many of those in this group have been motivated at some point, but over a period of time lost that motivation. It may be due to boredom, frustration, lack of recognition, or other reason. Therefore, it is important to first identify the reason(s) for the low motivation.
Suggestions for motivating:
With this group, you have to build both will and skill. This is often a person who has started a new task that they did not desire. However, this may also be a beginner to a task who has low confidence and who is afraid to fail. Therefore, it is important to first identify the reason(s) they fall within this category.
Suggestions for directing:
