--- title: "Skill Will Matrix" description: "Leaders map team members onto a two-by-two grid of skill and motivation using concrete evidence. They then draft specific supervisory actions for each person on an action plan." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/skill-will-matrix-workshopbank/" --- # Skill Will Matrix Leaders map team members onto a two-by-two grid of skill and motivation using concrete evidence. They then draft specific supervisory actions for each person on an action plan. **Time:** 45 minutes. UWT suggested 45 minutes to allow evidence-based discussion for 6 to 10 team members; source lists reading time rather than session duration. **People:** 4 to 12. Whole leadership team working together around shared flipcharts ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Produce agreed leadership strategies for individual team members based on their current capability and motivation. **Use it when:** Use during project setup or leadership reviews to decide how to supervise, coach, delegate to, or direct specific team members. **Skip it when:** Skip if direct reports are present in the room or if leaders lack direct observation of team members' actual work. ## Materials and tools - 1 flipchart sheet with a 2x2 Skill Will Matrix drawn - 1 flipchart sheet with an Action Planning table drawn (columns: Name, Current Quadrant, Leadership Strategy) - Sticky notes with one team member name written on each - Thick markers for the facilitator and participants ## Before participants arrive 1. Draw a large 2x2 grid on flipchart 1: vertical axis labeled Skill (Low to High), horizontal axis labeled Will (Low to High). 2. Label the four quadrants: Low Skill/Low Will (Direct), Low Skill/High Will (Guide), High Skill/Low Will (Excite), High Skill/High Will (Delegate). 3. Draw a table on flipchart 2 with three columns: Name, Quadrant, Leadership Strategy. 4. Write the names of the team members being reviewed on individual sticky notes before the session begins. ## Say this to open Today we are building a leadership support plan for our team. We will place each person on this Skill Will grid based on observable evidence, not personal impressions. Skill means demonstrated capability for this specific scope. Will means visible motivation and energy for the work. Once we agree on placements, we will assign concrete leadership actions for each person. ## How to run it ### 1. Set ground rules and clarify axes (5 minutes) Facilitator delivers the opening script and defines the ground rules: all assertions require concrete examples of past behavior, hierarchy in the room is paused, and notes remain confidential. Define High vs. Low Skill (technical competence and track record on required tasks) and High vs. Low Will (reliability, initiative, and visible engagement). ### 2. Calibrate and place team members (20 minutes) Take one team member sticky note at a time. The facilitator asks: 'What specific evidence shows their skill level for this project? What evidence shows their will?' Leaders discuss and compare relative to peers. When consensus is reached, place the sticky note in the appropriate quadrant. Repeat for all team members, adjusting positions relative to each other as new notes are placed. ### 3. Draft leadership strategies (15 minutes) Move to the Action Planning chart. Review each quadrant group. For Low Skill/High Will, define training and direct coaching actions. For High Skill/High Will, define delegation scope and burnout safeguards. For High Skill/Low Will, identify root causes of disengagement and motivating incentives. For Low Skill/Low Will, set clear direct instructions and review milestones. Record specific leader commitments in the table. ### 4. Commit to next steps (5 minutes) Facilitator reads out the action plan. Ask each leader to verbally confirm ownership of their direct actions. Agree on a follow-up review date to assess changes in placement. ## Debrief questions - Which quadrant holds the largest group of our team, and what does that mean for our management workload? - What support do our high-skill, high-will advocates need so they do not burn out? - What specific trigger will prompt us to move someone's placement to a new quadrant? **Finished output:** A populated Skill Will Matrix and an Action Planning table assigning concrete leadership tactics to named team members. ## Remote Recreate the matrix and action table on a collaborative digital whiteboard. Use digital sticky notes for names. Facilitator shares their screen and moves notes to the quadrants as leaders reach verbal consensus in the main video room. ## Hybrid Appoint a digital scribe to mirror all in-person sticky note moves and written table actions onto the shared online board in real time. Remote participants speak directly into the room audio during placement debates. ## Access and participation choices - Participants can review the list of team member names in advance to prepare factual notes. - Leaders may pass on evaluating a team member if they lack direct observation of that person's work. ## If the session gets stuck **Leaders disagree sharply on a team member's motivation level.** Ask both leaders for the most recent factual example of the behavior. If observations conflict across projects, place the note on the quadrant line and note the contextual difference in the action plan. **The discussion slides into venting about a team member's personality.** Interrupt immediately and redirect: 'Let us stick strictly to observable work deliverables and behaviors from the past 60 days.' ## Terms used here - Skill: Demonstrated technical competence, task knowledge, and track record relevant to current project goals. - Will: Observable motivation, initiative, persistence, and commitment toward team outcomes. ## Sources and adaptation Observed on WorkshopBank under the title 'Skill Will Matrix'. The underlying 2x2 skill-will model is widely attributed in management literature to Max Landsberg and Ken Blanchard's situational leadership frameworks. Retained the core WorkshopBank mechanic of evidence-based placement on a Skill/Will 2x2 grid followed by strategy development on an action matrix. UWT added explicit quadrant labels (Direct, Guide, Excite, Delegate), realistic step durations summing to 45 minutes, remote and hybrid procedures, and debrief questions. [WorkshopBank](https://workshopbank.com/tools/skill-will-matrix) [WorkshopBank](https://workshopbank.com/skill-will-matrix) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/skill-will-matrix-workshopbank/