Diagnosing Employee Performance Issues Worksheet

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When an employee isn’t performing as expected, the instinct is often to focus on the individual. But roughly 80% of performance problems trace back to organizational factors, not the person.

This worksheet uses Carl Binder’s Six Boxes® model to help you diagnose performance issues systematically — ruling causes in or out before prescribing a fix.

The Six Boxes® Model at a Glance
Organizational Factors — Boxes 1–3
1. Information & FeedbackClear roles, expectations, guidance, and frequent feedback
2. Tools & ResourcesMaterials, time, processes, and a supportive environment
3. IncentivesFinancial/non-financial rewards, consequences, opportunity to succeed
Individual Factors — Boxes 4–6
4. Knowledge & SkillsNecessary knowledge, experience, training, and practice
5. CapacityPhysical, intellectual, and emotional ability to perform
6. MotivesPersonal motivation aligned with work; fit for the role
1
Identify the Performance Gap
Compare expected performance to actual performance to name the gap clearly.
Expected Performance Current Performance The Gap
Key Reminders
  • Performance is task-specific — people excel at some tasks and struggle with others.
  • Most issues involve several contributing factors at once. Your job is to unbundle them.
  • Don’t start fixing with the remedy you wish to use. Choose interventions that fit the diagnosis.
  • This process works best as a dialogue with your direct report — get curious together.
2
Look for Possible Causes
Check any conditions that may be contributing to the gap. Then rate how likely each box is a root cause.
Organizational (Boxes 1–3)
Individual (Boxes 4–6)
Organizational
1. Information & Feedback
Likely a contributor?
Organizational
2. Tools & Resources
Likely a contributor?
Organizational
3. Incentives
Likely a contributor?
Individual
4. Knowledge & Skills
Likely a contributor?
Individual
5. Capacity
Likely a contributor?
Individual
6. Motives
Likely a contributor?
3
Gather Information & Pinpoint Root Cause
Use these questions to eliminate possible causes and zero in on what’s actually driving the gap.
Starter questions to clarify the gap
💡 Tip: Use Sophia
If you’re unsure which questions to ask your employee, bring this to Sophia. Share what you’re observing and ask her to help you think through the right questions for your specific situation.
4
Identify Targeted Remedies
Choose interventions that fit your diagnosis. Remember: training won’t fix an incentive problem.
💡 Use Sophia to think through remedies
Tell Sophia what you’ve learned: the specific behaviors you observed, the root causes you identified, and the boxes that were most relevant. Ask her for suggestions on targeted next steps.
Remedy / Action Owner Notes
Fill out the worksheet, then save your responses.

Adapted from The Six Boxes® — Carl Binder, Ph.D., based on Thomas F. Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model.