Before you call someone a C-player

There is a moment every entrepreneur knows. Someone on your team is not delivering what you had hoped. You ask how they are going to approach it and you get silence back, no plan. And then the thought comes: wrong call, this is just not the right person. Maybe that is true. But slapping on a label — "C-player", or straight to "D-player" — is a conclusion, and you only earn it after checking two things that are yours.

First: did you actually say what you expect?

Most friction between a leader and a team member is not a disagreement. It is a misunderstanding that was never spoken out loud. You have a picture in your head of what "good" looks like, the other person has a different picture, and no one put it on the table. The truth lives in two heads instead of between you.

And here is the sting: as a leader you often think you were clear. You could have written it on a note. But when you reread what you actually said, you asked suggestive questions. "Don't you think…?" "Wouldn't it be handy to…?" That is not clarity, that is hoping the other person guesses what you were thinking. Being clear means saying what you really think and making explicit what you expect. Not because it is nice, but because it is the only way the other person can deliver what you have in mind.

Explicit expectations are a form of respect. You give someone the chance to succeed on your standard, instead of letting them fail on a standard they never knew. Remember this, because it comes back in a second: someone's performance you can move a great deal with clarity and the right leadership. Their fit with your culture, far less.

The A-player matrix: two axes, four players

Topgrading and Scaling Up work with A-, B-, C-, and D-players. That is not a ranking of how valuable someone is as a person. It is a simple model with two axes. One axis is performance: does someone deliver the result the role requires? The other axis is cultural fit: does someone match your values and the way you work? Cross the two and you get four quadrants.

The power of this model is not that you put people in a box. It is that each quadrant asks something different of you. You may expect something different per player, and you do something different per player.

A-player: performs and fits

The A-player hits their goals and strengthens the team at the same time. Think of the operations manager who makes their quarterly targets, onboards new people without being asked, and improves the mood rather than dragging it down. What to expect: autonomy, reliability, and energy. What you do: give room, keep them challenged, and let them grow. A-players do not leave because of pressure, they leave because of boredom.

B-player: fits well, not performing yet

The B-player lives your values and is a team player, but the output lags. Usually that is not a character issue but a matter of the wrong role, too little clarity, or simply development still to come. Think of the loyal employee who helps everyone and fits perfectly, but just misses their own targets. What to expect: growth, provided you give them clear expectations and the right guidance. What you do: coach, make explicit what "good" is, and if needed find a role that fits better. This is your future A-player, not someone to write off. And watch out: treat a B-player like an A-player — let go, push hard, no support — and you actually push them down.

C-player: performs, but clashes with your culture

The C-player delivers results, but in a way that runs against your values. They work as a lone wolf, do not stick to agreements, or undermine the mood. This is the most dangerous of the four, because the numbers tempt you to look away. Think of the top salesperson who comfortably hits target but belittles colleagues and ignores the agreements you made. What to expect: results in the short term, damage in the long term — your A- and B-players walk away from someone who gets away with bad behavior. What you do: address the behavior directly and set a boundary. If it does not change, you part ways, however good the numbers are. A tolerated C-player is the most expensive thing you have in house.

D-player: doesn't perform and doesn't fit

The D-player delivers no results and does not fit the culture either. What to expect: it drags on, and it drains energy from everyone around them. What you do: let go honestly and in time. But here the title of this piece comes back: check first whether it is really a D. Did you give explicit expectations? Did you adapt your leadership to what this person needed? If not, your "D-player" may be an overlooked B you pushed down yourself. Only once you have done your part is the conclusion fair.

Why you look at yourself first

See the pattern? Two of the four quadrants are strongly determined by the performance axis, and that axis moves with your leadership. Unclear expectations and a style that does not fit push people to the left on the matrix — toward B, or even toward D. Cultural fit is largely set at hiring; performance you influence every day.

The reflex to point at the other person is human and comfortable. If it is their fault, you do not have to change anything yourself. But it is also the most expensive reflex there is, because it solves nothing. Two honest questions suffice. Did I make explicit what I expect, or did it only live in my head? And did I adapt my style to who I have in front of me, or do I treat everyone as if they were a copy of me? Often that is where the real work is, not in the other person.

From my own practice

I still catch myself at it. I think I was crystal clear, and when I reread what I actually said, I asked a suggestive question and hoped the other person would fill in the rest. Then it is tempting to conclude that it is their fault. But the honest question is: could I have written it on a note so they knew exactly what I meant? Usually not. And then the work starts with me.

How Boldcaster keeps this matrix up to date automatically

The problem with models like this is usually that they end up in a spreadsheet filled in once a year on gut feeling. In Boldcaster the A-player matrix is not a snapshot, but something that moves live with reality.

Someone's position on the matrix is determined automatically from two sources. The performance axis is a combination of the last performance review (for 60 percent) and the actual output achieved this quarter — their own KPIs and rocks (for 40 percent). The cultural-fit axis comes purely from the review, because you do not measure culture in numbers. That way you blend the human judgment with the hard results, and someone shifts automatically as soon as their numbers or their latest review change. If you want to deviate deliberately, a manual override always takes precedence.

The result is that you no longer have to guess. You see at a glance who stands where, backed by the review and the real output, instead of by a feeling stuck in your head. And that is exactly the point of this whole piece: get the judgment out of your head, make it explicit and visible, and base it on what actually happens. More on why visibility beats gut feeling in fewer meetings, better steering.

From judgment to leadership

This is not a plea to never let anyone go. Sometimes the match simply is not there, and then being clear, about that too, is the most respectful choice you can make. But you only earn that judgment after you have your own part in order. First explicit expectations. Then a style that fits the person. Then an honest look at the matrix, backed by data and not by gut. And only then, if it still does not work, the conclusion about the role.

The order is not accidental. Whoever starts at the label loses twice: the person, and the chance to become a better leader for it.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is the A-player matrix? It is a model with two axes: performance (does someone deliver the result the role requires?) and cultural fit (does someone match your values and way of working?). That gives four types. An A-player performs and fits, a B-player fits well but does not perform yet, a C-player performs but clashes with the culture, and a D-player scores low on both axes. The goal is not to put people in a box, but to know per type what to expect and what to do.

What is the difference between a C-player and a D-player? Both score low on cultural fit, but they differ on performance. A C-player does deliver results — and that is exactly what makes them dangerous, because the numbers tempt you to tolerate their behavior while it hollows out your culture. A D-player delivers no results and does not fit, and mostly drains energy. With a C-player the first step is to address and set boundaries; with a D-player, provided you have genuinely done your part, an honest and timely exit is usually the right choice.

Isn't this just an excuse to tolerate underperformance? The opposite. Explicit expectations raise the bar rather than lower it, because they make measurable and visible what "good" means. The point is that you first give someone a fair chance on a clear standard, and only then judge. Whoever uses the matrix seriously does not become more tolerant but more decisive — especially toward the C-player who would otherwise linger far too long.

How do I make expectations concretely explicit? Name the outcome you want, the standard you measure it against, and when it needs to be done. Replace suggestive questions ("wouldn't you…?") with clear statements ("I expect that…"). Write it as if you are handing it to the other person on a note, and put it somewhere you can both see, so the expectation is shared and does not stay stuck in one head.

How does Boldcaster keep the matrix up to date automatically? Each employee's position is calculated live from two sources. Performance is a mix of the last performance review (60 percent) and the KPIs and rocks achieved this quarter (40 percent). Cultural fit comes entirely from the review. That way someone shifts automatically as soon as their output or their latest review changes, and you always see the matrix based on real data instead of gut feeling. A manual override always takes precedence when you want to deviate deliberately.