Our head of customer success clearly gets the seat and has the technical capacity, but she admits she is burned out and does not want the seat anymore because of the high-stress environment. How do we handle a GWC™ evaluation when a key player fails only the Want It portion?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a key leader passes the Get It and Capacity portions of GWC™ but fails the Want It portion, you have a critical issue. Want It means they have the genuine desire, passion, and fire to do the job. It means they wake up excited to solve the problems associated with that specific seat.

You cannot train or motivate someone into wanting a seat. If they are burned out and admitting they no longer want the stress of the role, forcing them to stay will lead to poor performance, cultural decay, and eventual resignation. It also poses a high risk to your business stability as you prepare for an exit.

Your first step is to accept their answer without judgment. Use your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ issues list to IDS® this situation. Ask yourself if there is another seat on the Accountability Chart where this person can excel without the high-stress management responsibilities.

If they are a cultural fit who passes your core values, they are a right person. Your goal is to find them the right seat. This might mean moving them to an individual contributor role, such as a senior specialist or strategic advisor. However, if no such seat exists, or if they want to exit the company entirely, you must begin building a transition plan immediately to find a replacement who passes all three GWC™ elements.