You probably have someone like this on your dairy. They’re the first one in the parlor, they care about the cows, and they get along great with the rest of the crew. They have the values you hire for. Yet their work keeps falling short, and you’ve had the same conversation with them more times than you have time for.
Most of us respond with more training and patience, and sometimes that works. But when a good person keeps struggling, the problem is often the seat rather than the person, and no amount of training will fix a wrong fit.
We run manager training programs, and we see this in our classes. A good employee gets promoted, yet one of three things keeps getting in the way. Often they aren’t ready to be a manager today, and some may never be. It’s just not who they are.
First, Do Your Part
Before you judge the fit, make sure the job was set up fairly. Did they get clear expectations, real training, the right tools and honest feedback? If not, start there, and if they did, it’s time to ask three questions.
1. Do they know it?
They understand the job, what done right looks like and why it matters. It clicks for them, so you aren’t walking them through the same steps every week.
2. Do they want it?
They want this particular job, not just a job on your farm. A great herdsman may have no interest in scheduling and paperwork, and moving them into a supervisor role can turn a strength into daily frustration.
3. Do they have the capacity?
They have the mental, physical and time capacity the role demands. Some roles grow faster than the person in them, and some people don’t have the stamina or the hours the job now takes.
If you can’t answer yes to all three, they’re in the wrong spot. That says nothing bad about their character, and it means a good person needs a different seat, one where all three answers are yes.
Parting Thoughts
As the year winds down, set aside a quiet hour to look at your team with fresh eyes and ask yourself a few questions.
- Who on my team is a good person in the wrong spot?
- Did I do my part before deciding it’s a fit problem?
- Is anyone carrying more than one person should carry?
- What one move would put someone in a spot where they can win next year?
- If they are leading others, have they been trained to lead people?
This is one of the tools we teach supervisors in our Next Level leadership program. Good people in the right spot rarely need to be pushed. Help them find the right spot, and you’ll both have a better year.
