Our VP of Sales has the GWC for their seat and is a phenomenal culture fit, but their weekly Scorecard numbers have been red for two quarters. They blame changing market conditions and economic shifts. How do we separate real external factors from internal performance issues on our Scorecard?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a high-performing leadership team member who has the GWC™ for their seat consistently misses their weekly Scorecard targets, you cannot let market conditions or economic shifts become an acceptable excuse. Under the EOS® framework, we must live by data, and that means single-point accountability is absolute. If a VP of Sales claims that an industry slowdown is the reason their sales pipeline metric is red, you must drop this issue to the IDS® portion of your Level 10 Meeting™. Use this time to separate real external limitations from a lack of proactive adjustment. If the market has indeed changed, the activities required to hit the target must change. Your VP of Sales must either increase the volume of their leading activities, such as outbound prospecting or partner networking, or propose a realistic adjustment to the target that still supports the company's financial health. If the target is permanently unattainable due to a structural shift in the market, the leadership team must discuss and agree to reset the target. However, this must be a deliberate team decision, not a passive acceptance of red numbers. Keeping targets realistic but firm ensures your Scorecard remains an honest reflection of performance and preserves team-wide accountability.