Motivating Others

Ability or Motivation?

Use the Performance Diagnosis Model (Figure 6.7, page 296) in your book for this exercise. Using the

model, determine if each of these scenarios are an ability or motivation issue, then determine which

of the 7 problems applies. The problems are marked with letters A thru G on the model.

1. Nancy writes a memo to all five department employees, requesting that they submit new product

ideas in advance for discussion and selection at tomorrow’s departmental meeting. Dan, one of her

subordinates, does not submit his ideas in advance but waits until the meeting is underway, stating

that he needed additional time to develop good ideas and wanted an opportunity to defend his

thoughts to the department.

2. Nancy asks Dan to create a spreadsheet analysis showing the profit and loss potential of each of the

four new product ideas that come out of the departmental meeting. She asks him to submit his report

by Tuesday. On Monday, she asks Dan how the project is progressing. He replies that he may not be

able to meet her deadline, but he is working hard on it. He submits the spreadsheet analysis on

Wednesday afternoon, but Nancy finds that the formulas are inconsistent and the columns and rows

are misaligned.

3. In a meeting with her five employees, Nancy announces that the department will win a huge trophy

if it is the first to come up with a new product utilizing the company’s latest technology. After the

meeting, Dan asks his colleague Kira whether the trophy will come filled to the brim with $20 bills.

4. Nancy has assigned Dan to prepare a multimedia presentation explaining the department’s new

product proposals to the divisional vice president. The outline she hands him indicates the use of the

corporate logo and other graphics prepared by the advertising department at headquarters. Dan leaves

voice mail and e-mail messages for several members of the advertising department but gets no

response. On the day when the multimedia presentation is due, Dan is forced to tell Nancy that it is

not ready.