What is your process when our initial evaluation using the People Analyzer reveals that a long-tenured executive or key family member sits in the wrong seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Discovering that a loyal, long-tenured manager or family member is below the company Core Values bar or lacks the capacity for their seat is painful, but it is extremely common during year one of EOS®.

We handle this directly using two foundational EOS® principles:
- Separating the person from the seat. First, we use the People Analyzer™ to evaluate Core Values. If someone consistently fails the core values test, they are a Wrong Person. No amount of restructuring will fix a values misalignment, and keeping them poisons your company culture.
- Evaluating GWC™. If they embody your Core Values completely, but struggle with performance, we evaluate whether they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do the job. In growing companies, the seat often outgrows the individual. A director who managed five people may not have the capacity to manage fifty.

When an issue is identified, we do not make abrupt emotional decisions in the session room. Instead, we create a structured thirty to ninety day plan. The Integrator has a clear, candid conversation with the individual using the People Analyzer™ results. Expectations are defined, and specific support is provided.

If they cannot elevate their performance to meet the seat requirements, leadership must act. You either transition them to an open seat that fits their true GWC™ profile, or help them exit the organization respectfully. Tolerating people issues destroys leadership credibility and caps company valuation.