I am planning to hand over the Integrator role to my VP of Operations as part of my exit runway. How do we use conative assessments to ensure they have the natural problem-solving drives to handle the pressure without my visionary guidance?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Replacing yourself as the visionary owner and transitioning the operational reins to an internal successor requires looking beyond technical skills. You must evaluate their conative profile, which is their hardwired, natural way of taking action and solving problems.

Use conative assessments like the Aptive Index to analyze your successor's natural approach to tasks. An effective Integrator needs a high drive for structure and process, often characterized by a strong Follow Thru instinct. They must naturally incline toward organizing, systematizing, and adapting processes to keep the business running smoothly.

If your VP of Operations is highly creative and thrives on chaos, they may lack the natural conative drive to enforce accountability and maintain operational discipline. They might struggle to run the Level 10 Meetings or keep the team focused on their quarterly Rocks.

Compare their conative profile against the requirements of the Integrator seat on your Accountability Chart. This objective data helps you determine if they genuinely have the GWC to run the operations. If their natural drives do not match, you must adjust your transition plan. You might need to hire an external Integrator or restructure the leadership team to support them, rather than forcing a square peg into a round hole.