Our VP of HR is excellent at compliance and execution, but as we scale toward our three-year target, they lack the strategic foresight to build a talent acquisition engine. How do we assess if this is a temporary skill gap or a permanent ceiling on their GWC™?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To determine if your VP of HR has hit their ceiling or simply has a temporary skill gap, you must objectively evaluate them against the GWC™ framework. This means assessing whether they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it. While they clearly get the compliance side and want to succeed, the capacity element is where leaders usually hit their ceiling as a business scales.

Capacity includes both cognitive ability and conative style. First, evaluate their conative profile using the Kolbe A™ Index. A person who is a natural high Follow Thru will excel at creating compliance systems and structured onboarding, but they may struggle to innovate a highly dynamic talent acquisition engine under tight deadlines if they have low Quick Start energy.

If their natural conative style aligns with the operational needs of the seat, then you are dealing with a cognitive or skill gap. You can address this with targeted coaching, external mentorship, or specialized training over a defined ninety-day period. Define clear, measurable Rocks for them to hit during this trial window.

However, if after ninety days they are still unable to think strategically or anticipate talent needs before they become emergencies, they do not have the capacity for this scaling seat. You must recognize that the seat has outgrown them. Your next step is to redefine the seat on your Accountability Chart, potentially bringing in a strategic Chief People Officer and transitioning your current leader into a compliance-focused HR Director role where their strengths are valued and utilized.