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Letting go of a struggling employee or deciding to coach them is one of the toughest calls a leader has to make. Its rarely a black-and-white decision, and the stakes are highnot just for the individual but for the whole team and company. Every leader faces this dilemma multiple times in their career, and making a fair, timely decision isnt always easy. Thats why I created the CORVETT frameworka simple, structured set of questions designed to cut through the noise and help leaders make these tough calls with clarity and intention. Instead of reacting emotionally or making hasty decisions, this approach ensures consistency and fairness. I also teach this framework in my course at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where students tackle some of the biggest challenges in scaling companies. Breaking down the CORVETT framework The CORVETT framework is a guide to help leaders evaluate whether an employee can be successfully coached or whether its time to let them go. Heres how it works: Ask yourself the following set of questions. If you can say “yes” to most of these, its a signal to invest in coaching someone. If not, it is likely the right time to part ways. C Contrition: Does the person recognize that what theyve done (or not done) is a problem and are they willing to change? People who dont acknowledge an issue are unlikely to commit to improvement. Without this foundation, coaching simply wont work. O Ownership: Will they take responsibility for owning their performance? Even if they need support, which is often the case, its important that the person feels a sense of ownership for their development path. R Repetition: Have they been able to address this issue before? Or are they stuck in a cycle of repeating the same mistakes or bad behavior? Persistent patterns often indicate deeper challenges in learning or adaptability. V Values: Do their core values align with those of the team and company? While skills can be coached, values are deeply ingrained. A misalignment here is often a sign that the partnership isnt sustainable. E Expectations: Did I, as a leader, set clear and measurable expectations? Have I given them the tools and support they need to succeed? Sometimes the failure isnt on the employeeits on us as leaders. Setting crystal-clear expectations is critical, and if you havent done this yet, its time to reset. T Talents: Does this role align with their natural strengths and talents? Sometimes, its not about performance; its about fit. Reassigning someone to a role that better matches their abilities can often transform a struggling employee into a star performer. T Timing: Can this wait, or is immediate action required? Some situations demand urgent results, leaving little room for extended coaching timelines. Other times, patience can yield tremendous long-term benefits. Again, if you can confidently say yes to most of these questions, its likely worth investing in coaching. If not, it is probably time to let the employee go. If “cut,” avoid procrastination One of the most common mistakes leaders make is delaying tough decisions. Many hold out hope that things will improve on their own, or avoid confrontation because it feels uncomfortable. However, procrastination benefits no one. It delays the individuals growth or transition and often causes ripple effects that impact the entire team. Timely, intentional decisions are in everyones best interest. Employees deserve clarity about their future, and teams need colleagues who can meet a high bar and leaders who address challenges head-on. If “coach,” think broadly about solutions If your decision is to coach an employee to deliver stronger performance, first make sure you start with the E in CORVETT, and set crystal-clear expectations for what success will look like in the process. The worst thing a leader can do is keep someone onboard and not give them clear direction about how to improve. Take the time to express exactly how you will measure whether they pass the bar for performance. If you decide to invest in coaching an employee, think beyond traditional approaches to accelerate their growth and impact. While direct coaching or hiring an executive coach are good options, they often take significant time and/or funds that not every company will have available. Today companies of all sizes are also scaling coaching through AI tools for their employees, like aRTi, the personalized AI leadership coach we offer at Rising Team. These tools provide 24/7, ongoing guidance and can complement any other coaching they receive. Theyre an efficient way to give employees personalized support and actionable insights exactly when they need it. By offering these kinds of resources, you can help employees grow faster, make more informed decisions, and deliver strong performance, both for those that need coaching, and for your existing strong performers, too. Try using CORVETT For self-reflection The CORVETT framework isnt just for managers. It can also be a valuable tool for individual contributors looking to assess their own performance and alignment. Ask yourself: Am I taking ownership of my development? Have I sought clarity on expectations from my manager? Does my role align with my natural strengths and values? By reflecting on these questions, employees can identify areas for improvement and take proactive steps to ensure their own success. Make confident, fair leadership decisions The CORVETT framework offers a practical, unbiased guide to one of the toughest decisions leaders face: whether to coach someone or let them go. When those first doubts ariseCan this person improve? Should they stay?pause and turn to this framework. Resist acting on emotion or delaying the decision; instead, use CORVETT to lead with clarity and consistency. With the right tools, you can confidently navigate these decisions, strengthen your team, and foster a strong culture of accountability and growth.
Category:
E-Commerce
Every year, millions of Muslims take part in observing Ramadan: a spiritual month dedicated to cleansing the soul and spirit, hallmarked by the practice of fasting. This means that for 30 days, from sunrise to sunset, practitioners abstain from eating food and drinking water, only breaking their fast once the sun disappears in their respective geolocationa time that shifts up or down depending on the season. Yep, not even water. As someone who observes Ramadan, every year I am both amused and baffled by the awkwardness that surrounds the month in the workplace. Inquiries about what fasting entails are far and few, whether out of fear of disrespect, uncertainty, or just plain avoidance. This means not being able to understand the physical and mental tolls that your fellow colleagues who are fasting might be experiencing. @byefarzy Its inevitable ima forget happens every year #fyp #ramadan #muslim original sound – Farzy So, for the uninitiated, here are a few things about Ramadan that businesses can learn, as well as how they can support those observing, especially in these last few days. Lets start from the beginning Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic calendar. The ninth month in the lunar cycle, it revolves around fasting, spirituality, prayers, giving to charityall part of the five pillars of Islam. After 30 days of fasting, the month culminates in a celebrationa holiday called Eid-al-Fitr that is so filled with food and sweets, one would think youre making up for lost time! In a 2024 Mojo Supermarket report, the agency comments on how in spite of over 4 million practicing Muslims in America, the absence of Ramadan brand marketing is astonishing. In fact, Party City was the first mainstream party supply store to carry Ramadan decoronly seven years ago! You can imagine the utter disappointment folks felt upon learning that the store was going out of business. How could the United States, the Mecca (no pun intended) of capitalism, have missed the mark so badly? Weve got dollars burning in our pockets, begging to be spent. Throw us a bone herea paper lantern or plastic mugs shoddily printed with Ramadan Mubarak will suffice. How to make your work environment Ramadan-friendly Because your fasting colleagues are waking up an hour before sunrise for suhoor the period of time to eat and drink for the dayit often leads to a disruption in sleep cycles. Apart from general knowledge, the awareness that aspects of fasting can impact cognitive abilitiesfatigue, dehydration, inability focuscan enable teammates to cultivate a working environment that sets up them up to do their best work. Where possible, try to avoid scheduling late-afternoon meetings, a period in which low energy is often most visible. If youre a manager, allowing your direct reports to rearrange working hourssuch as starting the day earlier, or ending early and resuming after breaking fastis an excellent way to accommodate colleagues whose brains may be sluggish by late day, as well as giving them time to prepare for Iftar (time time to break fast.) If there is space in the office, curating an area for prayers, which usually take only minutes, is another thoughtful way to acknowledge the month. If your office is remote or hybrid, consider extending additional remote days for fasting colleagues. How some companies are recognizing Ramadan this year Some organizations are doing the most when it comes to inventing creative ways to honor their fasting colleagues and commemorate the montha particularly meaningful feat given the state of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the United States right now. Shaina Zafar, director, Next Gen at UTA, says the company has made a concerted effort to increase awareness around not only what Ramadan means symbolically and spiritually but also centered it around an ethos of community-building and cultural collaboration across interfaith communities. “Ramadan is a time for meaningful reflection and recentering for the billions of Muslims who observe,” says Zafar. “We see a fundamental re-imagination of our entire routines for these 30 days, and considering the impact this has on Muslims in the workplaceas they sometimes break their fast during work hoursit requires companies to intentionally engage with tangible resources and thoughtful support for employees observing Ramadan.” UTA hosted its second company Iftar in New York this year, according to Zafar, in addition to creating a Ramadan workplace inclusion guide. It also hosted a conversation on Muslim representation in the media, followed by Iftar in its Los Angeles office. At marketing company HubSpot, a challenge called Can you Last a Ramadan Fast was presented to employees. Its great to see HubSpot colleagues embracing cultural understanding through the global Ramadan fasting challenge,” says Naimun Siraj, a senior software engineer at HubSpot. “This gives an opportunity for employees to gain insight into an important part of Islam, and fosters genuine empathy and builds community through shared experience.” At Duolingo, Aliza Haider, director, immigration and global mobility, says the language-learning company is committed to nurturing an inclusive and supportive environment for “Duos” during Ramadan. We begin with reminders and best practices for our role managers, such as avoiding team lunches or food-related events during fasting periods,” says Haider. “This strategy promotes flexible working hours and cultivates a considerate physical environment. Our Workplace Team further supports our Duos by providing convenient meal boxes for pre-fast and post-fast times, allowing them to observe their traditions with ease and comfort.
Category:
E-Commerce
A recent group chat between high-ranking Trump officials may not exactly have been secure, but its place in internet culture certainly is. The fiasco known as Signalgate introduced what may already be the most infamous group chat in American history, inspiring a flood of memes across all social media realms and unveiling a string of patriotic emoji that now holds a permanent smirking perch in the public lexicon. According to an eye-popping story from The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, an account attributed to National Security Advisor Mike Waltz invited Goldberg to join a chat called “Houthi PC small group” on encrypted messaging app Signal earlier this month. There, boldfaced names including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance discussed plans to bomb Houthis in Yemen. Although dubious at first, Goldberg realized the chat was authentic when those plans were later confirmed by reality. After Goldberg published his scorching account of Signalgate on Monday, the internet erupted in speculation. Ironically, group chats across the country were likely consumed with it. The National Security Council quickly confirmed that the messages seemed authentic. Their statement to the press included a meager defense of those involved: “The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. Of course, many social media dwellers thought the thread demonstrated something else: elite memeability. @bmotheprince The USA National Security Group Chat original sound – Brian Moller | B Mo the Prince Me in the security chat quickly emerged on X and Bluesky, alternately to describe how one might look while reading texts about bombing plans, or how out-of-place one might feel being awkwardly included in such texts. Some memes focused on other unexpected parties being added to the Houthi PC small group and which further unexpected secrets might be revealed there, while others centered around not being invited to that chat or not being able to leave it. pic.twitter.com/8izx8RWivq— Pekka Kallioniemi (@P_Kallioniemi) March 25, 2025 There have been reenactments, historical and otherwise. The Daily Shows version, which they rolled out on Instagram, even cross-pollinated the group chat format with another recent political memethe weird JD Vance photoshops. Beyond a vast assortment of joke formats, though, something else evolved out of Signalgate: the most surreal, extremely online usage of emoji ever captured in a national security setting. Goldbergs article came with the closest thing to receipts the journalist could produce without further jeopardizing national securityselected screenshots. In one of them, Waltz is revealed celebrating the successful bombing campaign with the following emoji: a punching fist, an American flag, and a classic flame. (The trio of symbols does not yet have a collective name, but for the duration of this article, I will refer to it as Team America, a nod to the South Park creators 2004 satire of macho jingoism, best known for the earworm America, F*ck Yeah!) Within hours of Goldbergs bombshell dropping, use of the Team America emoji fanned out across X, Bluesky, Reddit, Tiktok, and Instagram. I told an intern his work was good and he just replied ???— PE Croissants (@sscoutcap) March 25, 2025 Some used it to mock the ice-cold detachment required for using triumphant emoji to mark the macabre occasion of a strike that killed at least 53 people. Others jumped right into ironically embracing Team America in faux displays of patriotic fervor. Taylor Swift fans deployed it the way Swifties do pretty much everything: with the inclusion of Taylor Swift lyrics. One popular use for Team America emoji that quickly emerged on Monday was in calling out the group chats hypocrisy. As CNN has documented extensively, several of the people involvedincluding Hegseth, Waltz, and Secrtary of State Marco Rubiopreviously called for Hillary Clinton to receive criminal charges over her much-litigated alleged security lapses. (Clinton herself reacted to the news by tweeting: You have got to be kidding me.) Several X users took to quote-tweeting old Waltz tweets on related topics with the Team America emoji configuration. Even the Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee got into the action, along with Gen Z congressperson Maxwell Alejandro Frost. Tweeting apparently wasnt enough for Florida rep Jared Moskowitz, who held up a Team America emoji sign at a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Tuesday morning. While memes about the security group chat are currently in abundance, both in volume and breadth, the Team America emoji seems headed for a much longer shelf life. Its the textual equivalent of a semi-ironic high-five, with undertones of mischievous mockery. Based on the amount of mileage its already gotten in just one day, it seems poised to break meme containment and become a go-to affirmative response in random text messages and a staple of Jumbotrons everywhere. In fact, the only thing that might stop its spread is if MAGA world reclaims it as a symbol of pride and starts putting it on hats, which is what will probably happen.
Category:
E-Commerce
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