Our customer onboarding department is consistently missing their weekly targets, and our leadership team is divided on whether this is a right-person-right-seat issue with the manager or simply a broken, outdated process. How do we objectively diagnose where the failure is occurring before we make a costly hiring mistake?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a department is consistently missing its metrics, leaders often rush to blame the person in the seat, assuming it is a right-person-right-seat issue. However, you must objectively distinguish between a human capacity issue and a broken process before making a change.

To diagnose this accurately, start by evaluating the process itself. Is there a clear, documented, and simplified process that is being followed by everyone? If the process is outdated, overly complex, or has never been formalized, you have a process issue, not a seat issue. You must fix the process first and ensure the team is fully trained.

If the process is clear and proven, but the results are still lacking, turn your attention to the person holding the seat. Run a thorough GWC™ check. Does this person truly get the seat, want the seat, and have the mental and physical capacity to perform the role?

You should also look at their conative fit using the Kolbe Index. If the seat requires high attention to detail and system adherence, but the seat holder has a low Follow-Thru score, they are fundamentally misaligned with the natural demands of the role.

By separating process issues from people issues, you can make highly objective, data-driven decisions that solve the root cause of the problem, rather than repeatedly hiring and firing people for a seat that is fundamentally set up to fail.