How do we handle a high-performing manager who GWCs their role on paper but constantly disrupts our culture and core values?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A high-performing employee who does not share your Core Values is a poison to your organization. In EOS, we call this a right-person, wrong-seat issue, or more accurately, a wrong-person, right-seat issue.

While they may hit their numbers and have the capacity to do the job, their behavioral misalignment will destroy team trust, breed resentment, and undermine your authority.

To handle this, you must hold them accountable to your Core Values. Use the People Analyzer tool to objectively measure their behavior against each core value. Let them know exactly where they are falling short, using concrete examples of their disruptive behavior.

Give them a clear timeline to improve, typically thirty days. Be supportive and offer coaching, but be completely transparent about the consequences if they do not change.

If their behavior does not improve, you must terminate them. Keeping a toxic high performer sends a message to the rest of your team that numbers matter more than values.

By letting them go, you protect your culture and demonstrate that your Core Values are non-negotiable. This is essential for long-term health and stability.