We have a key manager who has high cognitive ability and matches our behavioral targets on the Predictive Index, but they are completely failing to execute their weekly Rocks. How do we diagnose whether this failure is due to conative stress on the Kolbe scale rather than a lack of skills or cultural fit?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leader who matches your behavioral targets on the Predictive Index but still struggles to execute their weekly Rocks is likely suffering from acute conative stress. While cognitive tools measure what a person can do, and behavioral profiles show how they prefer to act, the Kolbe Index measures their innate, purposeful method of taking action.

To diagnose this breakdown, compare the individual's Kolbe A Index results, which represent their natural conative strengths, with their Kolbe B Index results. The Kolbe B Index measures the individual's self-expectations for their job. When there is a significant discrepancy between how a leader naturally gets things done and how they feel they must act to succeed in their seat, conative stress is the inevitable result.

This strain drains mental energy, leading to missed deadlines and incomplete Rocks, regardless of the individual's raw capability. You must also evaluate their Kolbe C Index profile, which outlines their supervisor's actual expectations for the seat.

If the functional demands of the Accountability Chart require a high Follow Thru score to build structured systems, but the leader naturally operates with a low Follow Thru instinct, they will burn out. Use these objective conative assessments to realign the seat's expectations with the leader's natural operational strengths.