When a weekly metric is consistently red, how do we use our EOS tools to diagnose whether the issue is a broken operational process or a seat occupant who does not GWC their role?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a weekly metric stays red on your Scorecard, the temptation is to immediately blame the person sitting in the seat. However, as an EOS leader, you must look at the problem objectively to determine if you have a people issue or a process issue. Do not make a rash decision without running the metric through a systematic diagnostic process.

First, assess if the seat owner GWCs the role. Do they get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it? If they have the intellectual and emotional capacity, and they genuinely want the responsibility, the issue is likely not the person.

Second, look at your documented processes. Is the activity required to hit this metric clearly mapped out in your Core Processes? If the process is documented, is it actually being followed by everyone involved? Often, a red number is the result of a bottleneck or a breakdown in a workflow, not individual failure.

If the person has the capacity and the process is being followed, then the target itself may be unrealistic, or the external market conditions may have shifted. Use the IDS® process in your Level 10 Meeting™ to isolate the root cause. Only when you have verified that the process is sound and the target is realistic can you conclude that the seat occupant is the bottleneck.