Coach Up or Coach Out? What I Look for Early
Not everyone clicks right away. But I’ve learned to spot the difference between someone who just needs support—and someone who’s not built for the work we do.
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When I’m leading a delivery team, I don’t get to choose everyone I work with.
Sometimes I get to handpick.
Sometimes someone gets assigned.
Sometimes I inherit a full team and just have to roll with it.
But no matter how the team forms, there’s always that early moment where I’m watching closely—not to judge, but to understand:
Is this someone I can grow? Or is this someone who’s not going to make it?
That’s the quiet question under most of my first-week observations.
I Don’t Expect Perfection. But I Do Look for Pattern
Everyone’s nervous on a new project. Everyone stumbles a bit. That’s not a red flag.
What I’m watching for is how they stumble.
What they do after the mistake.
How they show up when they’re not sure.
Whether they get quieter or sharper when things go sideways.
That tells me more than their resume or how they performed in onboarding.
The People I Can Coach Up Usually Show Me These 4 Things:
- Curiosity Without Panic
They ask questions, but they’re not frantic. They want to learn, not just survive. - Self-Correction
They miss something—but I don’t have to say it twice. They adapt. - Situational Awareness
They start to get the unspoken stuff. How this client operates. How we’re moving. Where to lean in. - Small Wins
Even in the chaos, they find a way to contribute. Something gets a little easier because they were there.
When I see those signs, I’ll invest. I’ll slow down and coach. I’ll give context that others might assume is already known. I’ll bring them into more strategic conversations earlier than expected—because I can see the signal starting to form.
This builds on what I shared in We Don’t Need More Coders—the shift from hiring for tool familiarity to supporting clarity-seeking mindsets.
The Coach-Out Moments Look Different
Sometimes the signs go the other way. And it doesn’t take long to see them:
- They wait for tasks instead of looking for problems.
- They don’t ask questions—and then miss the point.
- They repeat the same misstep because they never actually reflected.
- They make things heavier. For me, for the team, for the client.
At that point, it’s not personal.
It’s just math.
We’re moving fast.
And I don’t have time to carry someone who can’t—or won’t—adjust.
It’s Never About “Raw Talent”
I don’t care if someone’s a so-called “rockstar” dev or has a polished consulting resume.
What I care about is how they operate when the plan breaks.
Because it will. Always.
That’s when you see what someone’s made of.
That’s when you decide: coach up, or coach out?
Final Thought
This isn’t about being harsh.
It’s about being honest—with yourself and with the people you lead.
When I spot real potential, I’ll go out of my way to make space for it.
But I’ve also learned not to drag someone along just because I wish they’d level up.
If they’re not showing signal early, I’ve stopped hoping they’ll find it later.
Because I’d rather coach up the ones who are close…
Than keep covering for the ones who never will be.
