Batter up

For those familiar with baseball, imagine a hitter with a 270/350/410 slash line.  Good right, solid player, maybe good defense and probably worth say 3-5 WAR a year.  Just one problem, he can’t hit low and away.

Opposing pitchers know it, they pitch there often and it’s a weakness.  Otherwise, he’s really good, but that hole takes about 50 points of his batting average and on base percentage.  What if he could fix it?

Now imagine your imaginary hitter was your VP of marketing.  Great at most things and a potential future senior leader, but she has a flaw.  Unlike the hitter she isn’t aware, but everyone else is (they just can’t tell her).  Do you let her continue as is or do you invest in a star so that she becomes a champion?

Tough question?  WTF, really? – the easiest decision you can make, it costs 2xs her salary to replace her, if she were better imagine the multiple value from her salary she’d create not to count the value from her better team – invest in her. 

When I say invest, I mean get her some coaching to confirm the flaw, show her the hole in her batting chart and have her commit to getting better to become a future leader not just a middle manager.