They may not be doing as well as you had hoped - the chances are they will do an excellent job - as long as it's a different one!

When people don't work well it is not always their fault - the blame should be on the company that has pushed them into a job that doesn't suit them.

It's all a matter of character and aptitude. Some people prefer to follow. Some employees are good organisers but poor at physical work. Others can work well with their hands, but get impatient if they're confined to a desk. A good graphologist can tell you whether you've got the wrong person for the job simply by looking at their handwriting.

The first clue that something is wrong is when you notice someone's writing taking on a marked downward slope. This shows that they're not happy with life - possibly becoming disillusioned or depressed. They may even be getting overtired or heading for illness. But check that there's nothing wrong at home before you start changing their working routines.

Uneven spacing between the lines means the person is easily irritated or volatile in personality. If you have someone with this writing on your customer service desk, definitely consider moving them. They will panic in an emergency and find it difficult to hold onto their temper if someone's rude to them.

Consider the size of the writing. Large letters denote outgoing, lively people who won't be hidden away in the background adding rows of figures. They want to shine visibly, as your star performers. People with small, precise writing, on the other hand prefer detailed work and are often not confident enough to face crowds of people in the front line.

Look at the shape of the letters - pointed, gothic looking M's and N's show someone who is a self-starter and is attentive to detail - but don't try to boss them around - they'll fight you with bitter determination. Similarly, don't expect those people with very distinct M's and N's to be sharp and precise, especially if their upper case letters trail off or join into the next letter. They're probably too easy going to care about minor details. Either that or they're too overworked to have time to form their letters properly - either way, don't expect accuracy from these people.

Notice how far apart their letters and words are. Those with reasonably spaced, even writing, are usually good organisers and problem solvers - they could be management material. Cramped writing is indicative of talkative, impulsive people - nice to know, but don't burden them with any company secrets! Widely spaced writing shows self-confidence, but it could also be a sign of impatience - so be sure to judge fairly.