Questions to Ask if You Think You're Lacking at Work

All of us encounter stubborn performance problems in our work from time to time. Some tasks or responsibilities are more challenging than others, at least at first. But even if you and your manager have been diligent in addressing performance issues as they arise, sometimes we encounter a problem that resists even the best training. At that point, you may be wondering, “What’s wrong with me?”

First, pause and take a moment to reevaluate your approach thus far. Have you properly diagnosed the root cause of this persistent issue? Nearly all performance issues are the result of three root causes: ability, skill, and motivation.

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Ability refers to natural strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps a certain way of accomplishing a task simply isn’t working for you. Maybe it interrupts the flow of your other tasks and responsibilities or involves a lengthy checklist you can never seem to follow no matter how hard you try. In this case, if possible, find alternative methods or processes to get the same job done. If you cannot do that, you may have to be honest with yourself and your manager that you are simply not the right person for this particular job.

Skill means you are missing knowledge, haven’t yet mastered specific techniques, or lack the necessary tools or resources to get the job done. This is usually the best-case scenario since the solution is simple: work with your manager to get the training, resources, or other information you need, every step of the way.

The hardest nut to crack, of course, is motivation—the will to perform. What motivates each person is different, but in the case of persistent performance problems, a more revealing question to ask is, "What demotivates me?" You may discover that, rather than needing to find positive motivation, you are instead working against a powerful source of demotivation. Ask yourself if there is something you want because of the hard work that you feel you are not getting: better work conditions, a flexible schedule, or the right to choose your coworkers or tasks.

Here are some self-reflection prompts to help you evaluate for yourself whether a persistent performance problem is a matter of ability, skill, or motivation.

Ability

• What are my natural strengths that are applicable to my current tasks and responsibilities and projects?
• How am I applying those strengths?
• What are my relative weaknesses?
• How can I better leverage my strengths?
• How can I better plan around, bolster, or otherwise mitigate my weaknesses?

Skill

• What are key technical skills applicable to my current tasks and responsibilities and projects? How am I applying or demonstrating those skills?
• What are my relative technical skill gaps?
• How can I better leverage my skills?
• How can I bridge any technical skill gaps I’ve identified?
• What are key soft skills applicable to my current tasks and responsibilities and projects? How am I applying or demonstrating those skills?
• What are my relative soft skill gaps? How can I bridge those soft skill gaps?

Motivation

• What is my current motivation level: high, medium, or low?
• What motivates me?
• What can I do to get more of what motivates me at work?
• What de-motivates me?
• What can I do to avoid those things that de-motivate me at work?