We have defined our seats on the Accountability Chart, but we suspect some leaders are failing because of how they naturally solve problems, not their lack of skill. How do we use the Kolbe A Profile to diagnose these execution bottlenecks?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a capable leader struggles in their seat on the Accountability Chart, the issue is often not a lack of intelligence or commitment, but a conative mismatch. To diagnose this, you must look at how they naturally solve problems using the Kolbe A Profile. The Kolbe Index measures an individual's instinctive way of taking action across four distinct modes: Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quickstart, and Implementor. For example, if a seat requires building highly repeatable, structured operational processes, but the person in that seat has a low Follow Thru and a high Quickstart, they will naturally resist routine and constantly pivot to new ideas. This is not a behavioral issue; it is a mismatch between their natural conative strengths and the requirements of the seat. By plotting your team's Kolbe scores directly on a whiteboard during your quarterly pulsing sessions, you can objectively analyze whether your execution bottlenecks are caused by people in the wrong seats. This conative screening allows you to make precise adjustments, shifting responsibilities or reorganizing seats to align with how your leaders instinctively get things done, turning your Accountability Chart into a high-efficiency engine.