The Skill Will Matrix: A Simple Framework Every Coach and Manager Should Know

Every coach and every manager eventually meets the same puzzle: two people can be given the exact same task, and one will run with it while the other stalls. Sometimes that gap is about ability. Sometimes it has nothing to do with ability at all, and everything to do with motivation. Telling these two apart, quickly and accurately, is what the Skill Will Matrix was built for.

It is a simple, visual tool that helps you decide how to support someone based on what they actually need in this moment, not on a one-size-fits-all coaching style. In this guide, we will walk through what the Skill Will Matrix is, where it came from, how its four quadrants work, and how coaches, managers, and HR professionals can put it to use, backed by real research on why the “will” side of this equation matters as much as it does.

Key takeaways

• The Skill Will Matrix maps two things about a person on one simple grid: how able they are to do the work (skill) and how motivated they are to do it (will).
•  Skill is something you can see in track record, training, and results.
• Will is something you usually have to listen for, in conversation and behaviour, not just performance numbers.
• The grid has four zones, and each one needs a different kind of support: Delegate, Guide, Direct, or Excite.
•  Coaches, managers, and HR teams use it to stop applying one coaching style to every person and instead match their approach to what someone actually needs right now.

What is the Skill Will Matrix?

The Skill Will Matrix is a coaching and people-management tool that plots two things about a person on a single grid: how capable they are of doing a specific task (their skill), and how motivated they are to do it (their will). Instead of treating every person the same way, it gives you a starting point for the kind of support that will actually help.

The grid has four zones, and each one calls for a different response from a coach or manager:

• High Skill, High Will — capable and driven. The right move is to Delegate.
• Low Skill, High Will — eager, but still building ability. The right move is to Guide.
• Low Skill, Low Will — struggling on both fronts. The right move is to Direct.
• High Skill, Low Will — capable but disengaged. The right move is to Excite.

Once you know where someone sits on this grid, you have a much clearer idea of how to work with them, whether that means stepping back, teaching, setting firm structure, or reigniting their motivation.

Where the Skill Will Matrix came from

The Skill Will Matrix was created by Max Landsberg and introduced in his book, The Tao of Coaching. Landsberg drew on his years as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he worked closely with leaders trying to get the best out of very different kinds of people. His idea was straightforward: a manager or coach should not use the same approach with everyone, because people do not arrive at a task with the same mix of ability and drive.

What made the framework stick is how easy it is to apply in the middle of a real conversation. You do not need a lengthy assessment to use it, just a clear-eyed look at someone’s ability and their motivation for the specific work in front of them. That simplicity is why it is still taught in coaching and leadership programs today, including as one of the foundational diagnostic tools coaches learn early in their training.

Skill vs. will: what’s the real difference?

Skill is the ability side of the equation. It covers what someone knows, what they have practiced, and what their track record shows. Skill is fairly easy to measure through performance data, qualifications, or how someone has handled similar work before.

Will is the motivation side, and it is far harder to read from the outside. Confidence, energy, personal circumstances, past setbacks, and how someone feels about their role can all shape how willing they are to show up fully for a task. Because will is subjective, a coach or manager usually has to uncover it through conversation and observation rather than a report.

This is not just a coaching theory. Research on workplace motivation backs up how much influence a coach, manager, or leader has over someone’s will. In its ongoing workplace research, Gallup has found that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in team engagement scores across business units, a finding first published in its State of the American Manager report and reaffirmed in its State of the Global Workplace research since.

Source: Gallup, “Managers Account for 70% of the Variance in Employee Engagement”

In other words, will is not fixed. It moves depending on how well someone is coached, managed, and supported, which is exactly why the Skill Will Matrix treats it as seriously as it treats skill.

The four quadrants of the Skill Will Matrix, explained

Here is a closer look at what each quadrant tends to look like in practice, and the approach that tends to work best.

Quadrant I: High Skill, High Will — Delegate

• Confident and consistently capable
• Actively looks for new challenges and responsibility
• Learns fast and takes initiative without being asked
• A steady, reliable performer

This person needs the least hands-on coaching and the most trust. Give them autonomy, stretch assignments, and room to lead. Shift from directive coaching to a more mentor-like role, staying available for advice without stepping in unless asked.

Quadrant II: Low Skill, High Will — Guide

• Enthusiastic and genuinely wants to do well
• Often new to the role, the team, or the task
• Willing to try, even knowing they might get it wrong
• Responds well to encouragement and structure

This is where hands-on development pays off. Offer structured learning, frequent feedback, and safe opportunities to practice and make mistakes. Their motivation is already there; your job is to build the skill underneath it.

Quadrant III: Low Skill, Low Will — Direct

• Struggling with both ability and motivation
• May have failed before and be wary of trying again
• Could be in the wrong role, or a poor fit for the team
• Often reluctant to ask for help

This quadrant needs the most patience and the clearest structure. Set specific expectations, check in often, and break work into manageable steps. Just as important, create enough psychological safety that this person feels able to ask for help instead of quietly falling further behind.

Quadrant IV: High Skill, Low Will — Excite

• Fully capable, but visibly coasting
• May have plateaued or lost interest in the work
• Could be adjusting to a recent change, like a new manager or team
• Needs a reason to re-engage, not more instruction

More training will not help someone in this quadrant, because ability was never the problem. The work here is to find out what has dimmed their motivation and address it directly, whether that is a new challenge, recognition they have not been getting, or a change in what their role actually involves day to day.

Why this framework matters for coaches

Separating skill from will is one of the most useful habits a coach can build, because the two problems look similar from the outside but need completely different responses. Coaching someone on ability when the real issue is motivation, or the other way round, wastes time and can leave a client feeling unseen.

This is also where trained coaching skill makes a measurable difference. The coaching profession has grown fast precisely because organizations are seeing results from it. The International Coaching Federation‘s 2023 Global Coaching Study estimated more than 109,200 professional coaches working worldwide, with the profession’s global revenue reaching roughly $4.56 billion, a rise of about 60% since 2019.

Source: 2023 ICF Global Coaching Study Executive Summary

On the client side, the ICF’s Global Coaching Client Study found that more than 70% of people who receive coaching report improved work performance, communication, or relationships, with 86% of companies saying they recouped their investment in coaching.

Source: Institute of Coaching, “Benefits of Coaching” (citing the ICF Global Coaching Client Study)

Frameworks like the Skill Will Matrix are part of why trained coaching produces these kinds of results. They give a coach a repeatable way to diagnose what is really going on before deciding how to help, rather than guessing.

Where you can use the Skill Will Matrix

The Skill Will Matrix is useful anywhere someone needs to adapt their support to a specific person, especially during periods of change.

Some of the most common situations include:

• Coaching engagements — to quickly understand what a client needs from a session and avoid over- or under-supporting them.
• Performance conversations — to separate a genuine skill gap from a motivation issue before deciding on next steps.
• Onboarding — to understand a new team member’s or new client’s starting point in the first few weeks.
• Leadership transitions — to help a new manager quickly read the team they have inherited.
• Team restructuring — to decide where each person best fits as roles and responsibilities shift.
• Group and agile coaching — to select the right mix of people for a project team based on both capability and drive.

How to use a Skill Will Matrix: 6 steps

1. Assess the person for a specific task, not as a whole

Skill and will can shift depending on the task. Someone might be highly capable and motivated in one area of their work, and much less so in another. Assess them in relation to the specific responsibility you are looking at, rather than making a broad judgement about who they are.

2. Gather real evidence before placing anyone on the grid

Base your assessment on what you observe and what comes up in conversation, not on assumptions. Look at the consistency of their recent work, how independently they operate, and their energy and follow-through. Remember that low will is not always disengagement; it can just as easily be low confidence, burnout, or a lack of clarity.

3. Place them in the quadrant that fits their current reality

Use where they are right now, not their reputation or how they performed a year ago. If it helps, compare notes with a colleague or your HR team to keep your assessment consistent and reduce personal bias.

4. Match your approach to the quadrant

Delegate to high skill, high will. Guide low skill, high will. Direct low skill, low will. Excite high skill, low will. Let the quadrant shape the kind of conversation and support you offer next.

5. Agree on clear next steps together

Turn the insight into action: a stretch assignment, a development plan, a short-term goal, more frequent coaching, or a direct conversation about what is affecting motivation. The more specific the next step, the more useful the whole exercise becomes.

6. Revisit it regularly

Nobody stays in the same quadrant forever. As people gain experience, face new challenges, or lose steam, their position on the grid shifts. Come back to it every few months so your support keeps pace with where they actually are.

A quick example: Meera’s first three months as a team lead

Meera recently stepped into a team lead role and inherited a team of four. To get a real read on the team, she spent her first two months observing their work, reviewing recent feedback, and having one-on-one conversations with each person about what was working and what was not. Using the Skill Will Matrix, here is where she landed:

By treating skill and will as two separate questions, Meera avoided a common trap: assuming every performance issue needs more training, or that every motivated person is automatically ready for more responsibility. Each of her four team members ended up with a genuinely different plan, built around what they actually needed.

FAQ

What is the Skill Will Matrix?

It is a simple 2×2 tool that helps coaches and managers assess two things about a person: how capable they are of doing a task, and how motivated they are to do it. Based on where someone falls, you decide whether to delegate, guide, direct, or re-engage them.

Who created the Skill Will Matrix?

Max Landsberg introduced it in his book, The Tao of Coaching, drawing on his experience as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.

Is the Skill Will Matrix only for managers, or can coaches use it too?

Both. Managers use it to decide how to lead their teams day to day, while coaches use it to quickly understand what kind of support a client needs in a given area of their work or life, before choosing a coaching approach.

How is a Skill Will Matrix different from a skills matrix?

A skills matrix tracks what people are capable of, usually across a team, to spot skill gaps. A Skill Will Matrix goes a step further by also factoring in motivation, so it tells you not just what someone can do, but how best to support them in doing it.

Can the Skill Will Matrix change over time for the same person?

Yes, and it usually does. As people gain experience, take on new challenges, or go through change, their quadrant can shift. That is why it works best as something you revisit every few months rather than a one-time label.

Bringing the Skill Will Matrix Into Your Coaching Practice

The real strength of the Skill Will Matrix is how quickly it turns a vague sense that “something’s off” into a clear, actionable next step. Used consistently, it helps managers stop applying one leadership style to everyone and start giving each person exactly the kind of support that moves them forward.

For HR leaders and managers who want to build this kind of coaching capability across their organization, structured, ICF-accredited coach training offers a practical next step — turning frameworks like this one into a habit rather than a one-time worksheet.

Abhyudaya Global Coach Academy helps HR leaders, managers, and aspiring coaches build exactly this kind of people-development capability through ICF-accredited coach training. If your team is exploring how to bring structured coaching frameworks like the Skill Will Matrix into everyday people management, it’s worth a conversation with a coach training provider who works with organizations at scale.

→ Talk to an ICF-Accredited Coach at Abhyudaya Global Coach Academy