Skill/Will Coaching Diagnostic Framework

Route each rep into the right lane before you coach them

Use this alongside the Demotivated Rep Coaching Guide: that guide tells you how to run the conversation; this framework tells you what to do once you know where someone sits.

The matrix

Quadrant 1: Star (High Skill / High Will)

Indicators: Consistent output, brings you solutions not just problems, others ask them for help, asks for more responsibility. The manager mistake: Over-coaching a Star. Managers who need to feel useful keep "helping" people who don't need it, and it reads as distrust. What to do instead: Delegate — give them a mentee, a harder territory, a stretch project. Ask them what they want next, don't assume. Under-investment here is how you lose them to a competitor or a promotion elsewhere.

Quadrant 2: Disengaged Expert (High Skill / Low Will)

Indicators: Can still run a great call when they choose to, but activity has dropped, they're going through the motions, tone has flattened. The manager mistake: Sending them to more product or skills training. They don't need to learn how — they need to want to again. Diagnostic questions:

• "When did this start feeling different than it used to?"
• "What used to make this worth it, and is that still true?"

What to do instead: This is almost always one of: burnout, feeling unseen/under-recognized, comp plan stopped rewarding what they're good at, or they've quietly stopped believing in the product/leadership. Find which one and address the actual cause — don't paper over it with a pep talk or a contest.

Quadrant 3: Eager Learner (Low Skill / High Will)

Indicators: High activity, asks lots of questions, shows up early, results don't match effort yet. The manager mistake: Assuming enthusiasm means they'll figure it out on their own, or worse, reading low output as low will and demotivating someone who's actually trying hardest. What to do instead: This is your highest-leverage coaching investment — will is already there, skill is trainable. Pair with a Star for shadowing, give specific micro-skill reps (not "get better at discovery" — "ask three open questions before you pitch, every call, for two weeks"), and give fast feedback loops.

Quadrant 4: At Risk (Low Skill / Low Will)

Indicators: Low activity and low quality, avoids 1:1s, CRM neglected, tone flat or defensive. The manager mistake: Jumping straight to a PIP without checking for a circumstance cause first (bad territory, broken leads, something personal) — or conversely, giving endless chances because you like them. What to do instead: Run the circumstance check from the Coaching Guide first. If circumstance is clean and this quadrant persists for one full coaching cycle (2–4 weeks) with genuine effort on your side, this is your PIP-or-exit lane — and by this point you'll have the documented evidence to support the decision fairly.

How to use this without turning it into a label

• Re-assess quarterly, not once — people move between quadrants, especially between Star and Disengaged Expert.
• Never say the quadrant name to the rep. It's a manager's diagnostic tool, not feedback language.
• If you're unsure which quadrant someone's in, that itself is a signal you haven't asked the diagnostic questions yet — go run the Coaching Guide conversation before you guess.