Michael — Create-a-Hole Performance Framework

Situation

Coached Justin that the goal with Michael's performance management is to create a 'hole' for a high performer (like Ben), NOT to raise Michael to 'barely acceptable.' Framed 'barely acceptable' as worse than low performance — a barely-acceptable employee is hard to remove, creating permanent drag. Told Justin to leverage startup advantage (no HR handcuffs) to set higher bar, and shift mindset from 'fair for Michael' to 'fair for the team.'

Reasoning

Performance management isn't about giving Michael a fair chance — it's about building the strongest possible team. The 'barely acceptable' trap is real: once someone improves just enough, it becomes politically difficult to replace them, locking in mediocrity. Ben is waiting at $275K offer, and that slot needs to exist. The startup framing gives Justin permission to act — removing the mental barrier that HR won't allow it.

Additional Context

Builds on Team Building Mandate (prioritize team quality over features for 6 months) and prior coaching session (Feb 27 net-good framework). Justin had already given Michael direct feedback on low impact, which was met with surprise. Ben offer active at $275K with $300K ceiling. Personnel action plan from effort/impact matrix review already in progress.

Observed Evidence

Fathom: 'Goal: Create a hole for a high performer (e.g., Ben), not raise a low performer to barely acceptable.' 'A barely acceptable employee is difficult to remove, creating a permanent drag on the team.' 'Use the lack of HR handcuffs to set a higher performance bar than large companies can.' 'Focus on what's fair for your team and the company, not on what's fair for Michael.'

Matching Patterns

Confidence Breakdown

Reasoning Depth Analysis