Maximizing the minimum and opting for the optimum must be the goal of every company. That is possible by giving a lift to the employees who do not perform well.

Usually good performers are recognized and poor performers are ignored, insulted or condemned. It is a wrong policy. Poor performers also must be identified and specially recognized. If necessity is the mother of invention, let us play the role of necessity and let the employees become the inventors.

What made Muhammad Ali become the king of the boxing ring? It is not his accomplishment alone. He played a sport that he loved. That is most important. Make the employees like their work and love their work. This is enough. Accomplishments will march in battalions.

A job has many dimensions. Good performers can handle every dimension. Poor performers will like one dimension more than the other. Then, let them focus on the dimensions they like. Temporarily, let them avoid the dimensions they dislike. This is one way of making them love the job as they see it.

You must also love their love of the job. That is possible if you give the suitable feedback. You must recognize each and every contribution however humble it may appear.

When Shylock again and again quoted rules in the court of Venice, Portia said that justice must be tempered by mercy. In Performance Management context, we can say that appraisal must be tempered by mercy. Justice tempered by mercy is true justice. Justice without mercy is injustice. Appraisal tempered by mercy is true appraisal. Appraisal without mercy is wrong appraisal.

In the Bible parable, elder son does not understand the reformation potential of the prodigal son. But the father rightly assesses the goodness of the apparently bad son. If you assess the hidden potential of the apparently hollow employees, you are just helping them to help you. Elevate these poor performers. In return, they will coronate you immensely. When Keats said that heard melodies are sweet, but unheard melodies are sweeter, did he also mean that open performance is great, but latent performance could be greater!