We have a highly relational manager, a classic Diplomat personality, whose scorecard metrics always look green, yet their team is suffering from low productivity and missed project deadlines. How do we audit this manager's metrics to make sure they are not tracking soft, comfort-zone activities instead of hard, operational throughput?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is common for managers with highly relational or Diplomat personalities to focus on soft, activity-based metrics that make their team feel good but do not drive real business results. They might track team check-ins or training hours completed while ignoring structural drops in operational throughput. To correct this, you must audit their seat on the Accountability Chart and realign their scorecard metrics to focus on hard, objective outcomes. A relational leader is great for morale, but their scorecard must measure the business results that morale is supposed to produce. Instead of tracking subjective or soft metrics, change their measurables to concrete outputs. For example, track the percentage of projects delivered on time and under budget, or weekly labor efficiency rates. Ensure the manager fully understands and GWCs these new metrics. Explain that tracking objective outcomes is not a threat to their relational leadership style; rather, it provides the clear boundaries their team needs to succeed. By focusing their scorecard on hard operational results, you hold them accountable for the actual health of their department while still allowing them to leverage their natural strengths to motivate their team.