Our head of engineering is a genius who sits on our leadership team, but they refuse to document their processes, claiming their work is too complex for standard operating procedures. If they get hit by a bus, our operations halt. How do I force an executive-level expert to systematize their department?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a highly skilled leader refuses to document their processes, they are holding your company hostage. Often, they hide behind the excuse of complexity to protect their status or avoid what they perceive as administrative busywork.

You must address this as a core GWC™ issue. A leader on your executive team must possess the capacity to build a scalable department, and scalability requires documentation. If they cannot or will not build a system that others can follow, they are acting as a specialist, not a leader.

To resolve this, make process documentation a quarterly Rock for them. Do not ask them to write a hundred-page manual. Use the EOS® three-step process: document the critical twenty percent of the steps that yield eighty percent of the results.

If their conative profile shows they are a low Follow Thru on the Kolbe A™ Index, they will naturally struggle with writing documentation. If that is the case, do not force them to do the actual writing. Instead, pair them with an administrative assistant or a technical writer. Their job is to explain the steps while the assistant documents them. This respects their natural strengths while still achieving the company's need for operational safety. If they refuse even this level of collaboration, they are showing a lack of alignment with your core values, and you must evaluate their future on the team.