I assume a relatively small number of people reading this follow hashtagf1, but hey, whatever.
Daniel Ricciardo and Mclaren parted ways officially today. It’s been a long time coming, as Ricciardo’s results for the team have paled in comparison to his teammate Lando Norris. I’m a big fan of both drivers, and it’s been heartbreaking to see Ricciardo struggle over the last two years. Why does this matter to you?
F1’s an interesting sport. It’s half technical hardcore team engineering challenge, and half individual driver challenge. Maybe not half-half, maybe more like 70-30. Put a great driver in a bad car these days, and they cannot make up the deficit. Put a bad driver in a great car and they’ll likely end up somewhere in the top half of the grid.
But even still, defining “great driver” and “great car” is still the 101 way of thinking about the problem. Ricciardo is a great driver. He’s won 9 races, and makes the kinds of ambitious overtakes that are necessary to win. His racecraft has historically been great. Mclaren has a good car. Norris has landed it in the top end of the grid regularly *and consistently* this year.
What’s the problem, then? The problem is that different drivers like different qualities in a car. Some need stable front end grip. Some need traction on corner exit. Some drivers are adaptable, and can squeeze performance out of a lot of types of cars, while some may have higher peak performance but need a very specific style of car to get there.
If you look at Ricciardo’s performance recently, it’s hard to not say he’s a “bad” driver by his results. But if you look at his career, it’s also impossible to say he’s a bad driver by almost any metric. The problem is compatibility.
I hope it’s already obvious, but if you’re looking at someone on your team as a “bad” employee, one thing you need to look at first is the context they’re operating in, and if you’ve given them what they need to be successful.
Sometimes your endeavor together is a bad fit, and the only way forward is to part ways. But I’ve had employees who were performing *terribly* turn it around completely with what seemed like small changes. Sometimes it’s incompatibility between people. Sometimes it’s confidence. Sometimes it’s creating the safe space for them to open up.
But before you judge someone as “bad”, take a look at the car you’re providing for them, and make sure you’re giving them the things they, specifically, need to succeed. A great manager treats their charges as individuals, and gives each individual the car they need to succeed. A one-size fits all approach is easier, and sometimes *feels* more fair, but that’s a lazy and largely ineffective way to manage people.
You won’t always find that fit where the performance finally clicks. But you’d be surprised how often a small change can make a huge difference.