Our Operations Director scores high on "Get It" and "Want It", but his Kolbe profile shows a very low Follow Thru. He is consistently failing to build the repeatable operational systems we need to scale. Is this a capacity issue we can coach, or is he simply in the wrong seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a conative capacity issue, and you cannot coach someone out of their natural conative wiring. Your Operations Director has the mental capability and the desire, but his brain is not wired to build detailed, sequential systems. A low Follow Thru means he naturally operates by finding shortcuts, multitasking, and reacting to immediate needs, not by documenting step-by-step processes. In EOS, capacity includes this natural, instinctive way of taking action. He does not GWC the seat because he lacks the conative capacity to build systems. Trying to force him to become a systematic process builder will only cause immense conative stress, leading to burnout and continued operational failure. You have two choices. You can redefine the Operations Director seat to leverage his strengths, perhaps by pairing him with an operations manager who has a high Follow Thru score to handle the systemization work. Or, if the seat absolutely requires the leader to personally build and maintain the systems, you must make a right-seat call. He must be moved to a seat where his natural quick-thinking and adaptability are assets, and you must hire a systematic, high Follow Thru leader to run your operations.