A long-term leadership team member is consistently missing their Rock targets, but they claim their daily operational workload is too heavy. How do we determine if this is a GWC issue or a resource issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leader claims they are too busy to hit their Rocks, you must separate a capacity problem from a prioritization problem. It is easy to blame a heavy workload for poor performance, but on a leadership team, failure to execute is often a sign of a deeper GWC™ issue. To diagnose this, start by conducting a GWC™ evaluation specifically focusing on the Capacity seat requirement. Capacity is not just about having enough hours in the day; it is about having the mental, emotional, and physical capability to manage those hours, delegate tasks, and prioritize what is important over what is urgent. Next, look at how they are spending their time. Have them track their daily activities for two weeks to identify where their time is going. If they are spending eighty percent of their week doing low level operational tasks that should be delegated to their direct reports, you have a delegation problem, which is a core leadership capability issue. If the data shows they are truly running a highly efficient department but are simply overloaded due to rapid company growth, you have a resource problem. In this case, use the Accountability Chart to elevate them by hiring an assistant or a coordinator to take the low value tasks off their plate. If they resist delegation or struggle to prioritize even after receiving support, they do not GWC™ the seat at this scale.