We just hired our first external chief operating officer, but they are acting more like a high level advisor who writes strategy documents rather than an operator who executes. How do we use our Accountability Chart and Rocks to get them focused on execution rather than philosophy?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

External hires from larger corporations often default to acting like consultants because they are used to having armies of support staff to execute their ideas. In an entrepreneurial environment, this behavior is toxic. You must quickly pivot them from high level advising to daily operational execution.

Start with the Accountability Chart. Re-evaluate their seat and walk through the five core roles together. Make it clear that their primary responsibility is to harmonize the business and execute the business plan, not just write reports. Use the GWC tool to reconfirm their fit. If they do not want to get their hands dirty, they do not GWC the seat.

Next, tighten their quarterly Rocks. Instead of broad, strategic objectives, assign highly specific, measurable execution Rocks. For example, instead of a Rock to evaluate operational efficiency, set a Rock to automate three manual workflows using AI and reduce processing time by thirty percent.

Force accountability through your weekly Level 10 Meeting. Monitor their weekly metrics on the Scorecard. If their metrics are off or their Rocks are behind, use the IDS process to find out why. If they continue to offer strategic frameworks instead of operational solutions, you have a mis-hire. Do not hesitate to make a change. A non-performing executive will quickly destroy the productivity and morale of your entire leadership team.