Danny Meyer is the founder of the Union Square Hospitality Group, which operates some of the most successful restaurants in the country. Among the restaurants that it operates is Shake Shack—which along with In-N- Out—is one of the few places that I frequent when I have a taste for a hamburger. Meyer is also the author of the book Setting The Table, which is one of my favorite books on the art of hospitality. Considering that his restaurants have achieved resounding success for over 40 years and that 75% of restaurants fail within the first 5 years, Meyer’s ideas have considerable weight.

On a recent episode of the Tim Ferris podcast, Meyer shared one of those ideas. He discussed the strategy that he uses to evaluate employees. The strategy is a 2x2 matrix called the performance quadrant, and Meyer considers it one of the key factors behind the amazing company that he has built and the amazing success that it has enjoyed. Here is what it looks like:

According to Meyer, any person in any company can be evaluated by where they fall on this matrix by pinpointing how their work demonstrates their mix of ability and willingness. Some people are able and willing; some are able and unwilling; some are unable are willing, and some are unable and unwilling. Although managing each of these individuals require a different approach, Meyer argues that the most frustrating group of the four are those who are able but unwilling. These are the people who have an abundance of knowledge, skills, abilities, resources, and opportunities, but who seem the least interested, motivated, excited or engaged.

I completely agree. There is NOTHING more frustrating than dealing with people who are able but unwilling. In fact, I would add to Meyer’s analysis that in my experience, the able but unwilling crowd (can but won’t) is the largest of the four. I call them the Army Of The Unwilling. This the crowd that is unwilling to help, unwilling to give, unwilling to participate, unwilling to commit, and unwilling to sacrifice. They are a multiethnic, transracial, international organization with local branches in every nook and cranny of the inhabitable world. LOL (I kinda like that sentence).

This is probably why God instructed Moses to exclude the unwilling when he provided the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. The purpose of the tabernacle was serve as the custodian of God's presence during the children of Israel's sojourn through the wilderness. The instructions that God gave Moses for the construction of the tabernacle constitute one of the largest sections of the book of Exodus, one of the largest sections of the Old Testament, and one of the largest sections of the entire Bible. Over 50 chapters are dedicated to the tabernacle: 13 in Exodus, 18 in Leviticus, and 15 in Numbers.

The fact that there are so many chapters dedicated to this subject is an indicator of its importance. There is not another subject that occupies so much space in scripture! Exact materials are specified. Exact colors are conveyed. Exact measurements are given. Finally, exact criteria are provided for who was to be asked to help support its construction. In Exodus 25:1-2 it says:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

God instructed Moses to only receive an offering from those who were willing. Otherwise, God wasn’t interested. There is something contaminating, corrupting, and collapsing about unwillingness. God didn’t want people like that anywhere near his building project. And you shouldn’t want anyone like that anywhere near you either.

The Army Of The Unwilling is one army that will never win a battle. And the Army Of The Unwilling is the only army from which it is an honor to be dishonorably discharged.

God has never required people with much ability.

God prefers availability.