If someone is doing their job poorly, consider whether it is due to inadequate learning or inadequate ability.

Training and testing a poor performer to see if he or she can acquire the required skills without simultaneously trying to assess their abilities is a common mistake.

Recognize that when you are really in sync with someone about their weaknesses, the weaknesses are probably true.

When judging people, remember that you don’t have to get to the point of “beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

It should take you no more than a year to learn what a person is like and whether they are a click for their job.

Continue assessing people throughout their tenure.

Evaluate employees with the same rigor as you evaluate job candidates.

Train, guardrail, or remove people; don’t rehabilitate them.

Don’t collect people.

Be willing to “shoot the people you love.”

When someone is “without a box,” consider whether there is an open box that would be a better fit or whether you need to get them out of the company.

Be cautious about allowing people to step back to another role after failing.

Remember that the goal of a transfer is the best, highest use of the person in a way that benefits the community as a whole.

Have people “complete their swings” before moving on to new roles.

Don’t lower the bar.

Manage as Someone Operating a Machine to Achieve a Goal

Look down on your machine and yourself within it from the higher level.

Constantly compare your outcomes to your goals.

Understand that a great manager is essentially an organizational engineer.

Build great metrics.

Beware of paying too much attention to what is coming at you and not enough attention to your machine.

Don’t get distracted by shiny objects.

Remember that for every case you deal with, your approach should have two purposes: 1) to move you closer to your goal, and 2) to train and test your machine (i.e., your people and your design).

Everything is a case study.
