Leaders naturally discriminate between team members based on track record, reliability, and skill.
Giving team members a letter grade to capture the difference between them is somewhat of a parlor game for leaders.
They love to argue about how many A-players they have on the team and why others don’t make that grade. Every leader wants more A-players and fewer C-players.
The question is: What specifically defines the difference?
Here’s a simple scheme: A-players just need a goal. Once they know the desired outcome, they can figure out how to get there.
They instinctively know what resources and tools they need and quickly get to work producing the desired outcome without much guidance. A-players operate independently and rarely require direction or oversight.
B-players need the goal and the strategy or approach to achieve it. They depend on leaders to help them think through the various choices or options and what game plan is best to ensure success.
Once they are armed with the objective and a strategy, they get busy executing the plan. Without the help of the leader, B-players often flounder or select an inferior strategy that inhibits their success.
C-players need more than the goal and the strategy. They need the tactics, too. They don’t know how to execute the strategy without guidance and direction from the leader.
Once the leader points to the steps and actions that will help them to achieve the desired outcome, they can get to work and begin making progress. Without the strategy and tactics, C-players often get lost and lose focus on the ultimate goal.
Of course, this scheme is an oversimplification, yet it generally matches most leaders’ experience.
Turning B-players into A’s and C-players into B’s is a bit more obvious from this point of view.
B-players need practice thinking of strategies and approaches to problems and goals. Dissecting existing strategies and creating new ones is how B-players gain the confidence and acumen to fly on their own.
Asking C-players to identify the tactics and actions central to a strategy and then to prioritize them helps them to make the connections they need to advance.
Exploring the many tactical options available to achieve any strategy and subsequent goal is what C-players need to develop their talents. Learning what tactics leaders recommend and why provides the insight they need to eventually lift themselves up the ladder.
Good leaders do more than simply recruit A-players to join their teams. They do the hard work it takes to elevate the talents, skills, and potential of everyone on the team, including the C-players.
When it comes to grades and letters, the best leaders view them as interim stages that will evolve with the right leadership. It takes an A-leader to make an A-player.
