We have a department head who is a perfect core values fit and passes the GWC check for his seat. However, he is consistently missing his Scorecard metrics and failing to achieve his quarterly Rocks. How do we determine if this is a seat design issue or a person issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leader GWCs their seat but consistently misses their numbers, you must diagnose the root cause by separating the seat design from their personal execution. Start by looking at the seat itself. Are the five major roles defined on the Accountability Chart realistic for a single person, or have you built a super-seat that requires sixty hours of high-level work weekly?

If the seat is overloaded, the design is the bottleneck, and you need to split the seat or delegate some of its roles. Next, look at the Scorecard metrics themselves. Are they realistic, controllable, and properly defined?

If the metrics are fair and the seat design is realistic, then you have a person issue, specifically a capacity problem. The C in GWC stands for capacity, which includes emotional, mental, physical, and time capacity. A person can understand their job and passionately want to do it, but still lack the capability to execute at the level your growing business requires.

Use your Level 10 Meeting to run these issues through the IDS process. Ask the individual what resources or training they need to hit their targets. If you have provided the resources, clarified the expectations, and optimized the seat design, but they still cannot deliver, they are in the wrong seat. You must make a hard decision to move them to a different seat where they can succeed, or exit them from the company.