A professor once told me that there are four types of people:
Willing and Able
Willing but Unable
Unwilling but Able
Unwilling and UnableThat makes a lot of sense. Don’t you think?
Please take a look at the chart provided here. The first type of people (able and willing) are sought-out and welcomed by everyone. The last type (unable and unwilling) are, well, the kind of people everyone avoids.
The reality is that most people fall into the middle two categories: unable but willing, or able but unwilling. Let me describe these two in greater detail First, unable but willing. People in this category are willing to try, learn, and grow. But, they have not mastered or acquired needed skills. They may also lack the basic education needed to complete certain tasks. Nonetheless, because they are willing, with good coaching, guidance, and practice, they can eventually become able and willing people--not always, but they can get better. Second, able but unwilling. Folks in this category are quite difficult to work with. Why? Because they clearly have skills or abilities, but they are not willing to grow or develop additional capabilities. Simply put, they don't want to learn or put in the effort. So, often these folks do not reach their full potential. Their skills may be "good enough" for now, but they do not become "better" due to their unwillingness. Some folks in this category can be arrogant, smug, and frustrating.
The right attitude (willingness) can invite guidance and support from others, but a poor attitude (unwillingness) can actually force others who can help to withhold guidance or insights altogether. School is a perfect place to illustrate this point. Even though Tommy may not be the most intelligent student, as long as he has the willingness to learn and make efforts, teachers will go out of their way to help, coach, guide, and provide support. However, even though Denise may be very smart, if she has a poor attitude (arrogance, laziness, unwilling to follow direction), she will exasperate teachers and force them to withdraw their support.
Which type of person are you? I hope you are the Willing-and-Able type. You're a dream to work with.
If you're the Willing-but-Unable type, well, there is hope for you, so don't give up! Keep on learning, keep on trying.
If you see yourself as Unwilling-but-Able or Unwilling-and-Unable, you got your work cut out. If you do not change your attitude, you will encounter people who'll refuse to invest their time and energy in your life. In fact, you may even notice people avoiding you or refusing to work with you (i.e., in group project situations at school, or work-related projects). That's because it's incredibly frustrating to work with you. And, hardly anyone will pay you for your "work" or "efforts" since your poor attitude and lack of ability just aren't too valuable. See my related article Willing and Able (Part 2) on how to work with such people if you happen to be their supervisor or boss.