When to Coach, Confront, Delegate, or Redesign
For the Leadership Toolbox
Great tools are useless without diagnosis. This module helps you figure out what's actually going on before you reach for a framework. Start with the situation, not the solution.
Find the scenario closest to what you're dealing with. Each path gives you a diagnosis first (what's likely going on), then a sequenced reading order through 2-3 modules. The order matters, don't skip to step 3 before doing step 1. And read the reality check at the end of each path. Not every situation has a clean fix.
Before you coach, confront, or escalate you diagnose. Underperformance is a symptom, not a root cause. The fix depends entirely on whether this is a skill gap, a will gap, or a system problem.
Start here. You can't fix what you haven't named. Use the preparation-delivery-discussion-followup framework to have the conversation.
If the feedback conversation reveals a skill gap or a confidence issue, shift into coaching mode. Use the GROW model to help them find their own path forward.
If coaching doesn't shift things, the issue may be ownership. Use the Oz Principle to move from "Below the Line" blame to "Above the Line" action, for both of you.
Sometimes underperformance isn't fixable. If you've been clear, coached, and given time, and nothing has changed, that's not a failure of your leadership. It's information. See How to Talk to a Problem Employee and 20 Questions Before Firing.
This is almost never a time management problem. It's a prioritisation and delegation problem. You're probably doing work that shouldn't be yours, saying yes to things that should be no, or making decisions that others could make.
Use the Eisenhower Matrix to sort everything on your plate. Be honest about how much time you spend in Quadrant 1 (firefighting) vs. Quadrant 2 (building).
Now hand things off. Not the scraps, the real work. Delegation isn't dumping; it's developing. Prepare, assign, monitor, evaluate.
For the decisions that remain on your plate, use the RAPID® framework to clarify who recommends, who decides, and who executes. Stop being the bottleneck.
If you're drowning and you've already delegated and prioritised, the problem might be structural. You may need fewer initiatives, more headcount, or a fundamentally different operating model. Not every workload problem is solvable with better habits. See How to Be a Less Stressed CEO.
Tension isn't always bad, healthy conflict drives better decisions. The question is whether this is productive disagreement or corrosive dysfunction. And whether you're part of the problem.
Start with the structured approach: identify, understand perspectives, find common ground, brainstorm solutions, agree on a plan. Don't skip straight to solutions.
If the tension is recurring, the root cause is likely deeper. Work through Lencioni's pyramid from the bottom up. Is there trust? Can people be vulnerable? Is conflict safe?
Once the immediate tension is addressed, build better communication habits to prevent recurrence. Clear, concise, correct, complete.
Some interpersonal conflicts can't be resolved, only managed or separated. If two people are fundamentally incompatible and it's poisoning the team, restructuring may be kinder than endless mediation. Not every relationship is worth saving. See The Uncomfortable Truths.
If you're thinking about it, you've probably been thinking about it for too long. The question isn't whether to act, it's whether you've done the work to act fairly, and whether you can live with the decision either way.
Before you decide, have the direct conversation. Address the behavior, explain the impact, listen to their perspective, and agree on a plan with clear expectations and consequences.
Work through the full checklist. Have you communicated expectations? Provided training? Given documented feedback? Explored alternative roles? Consulted HR?
Read this last. It won't make the decision easier, but it will make it clearer. Some people are in the wrong role. Some teams need different people. That's not cruelty, it's clarity.
The most common leadership failure here isn't firing too quickly, it's waiting too long. If you've done the work and the answer is clear, delaying is not kindness. It's avoidance. The rest of your team already knows.
This is the hardest one. No clear crisis, no obvious underperformer, no specific conflict, just a feeling that things aren't right. That feeling is usually correct. The challenge is figuring out what layer the problem lives on.
Start by re-diagnosing your team. Where is each person on the readiness scale? Has someone moved from R3 to R2 without you noticing? Is your style mismatched to what they need right now?
Go back to purpose. Has the "why" gotten lost in the daily grind? When people lose connection to meaning, performance doesn't collapse, it just slowly hollows out.
Check the fundamentals. Are people's basic needs met? Do they have autonomy, competence, and relatedness? Sometimes "something's off" means the hygiene factors have eroded without anyone noticing.
Sometimes "something's off" is you. Leadership is exhausting, and burnout doesn't always look like burnout. Before diagnosing the team, check your own state. See How to Be a Less Stressed CEO and How to Take Better Breaks.
Diagnosis before prescription. The biggest leadership mistake isn't using the wrong tool, it's reaching for a tool before understanding the problem. Slow down, ask the uncomfortable questions, and let the situation tell you what it needs. And remember: not every problem has a clean solution. Some situations require trade-offs, not fixes.
