Most of our leadership team members have very low Follow Thru scores on the Kolbe Index, and they naturally resist structured tracking and systems. How do we build a disciplined habit of running on data when the team's instinct is to manage by gut feel and intuition?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team dominated by low Follow Thru scores on the Kolbe Index will naturally resist structure, processes, and weekly data tracking. They prefer operating in a fast paced, intuitive environment. However, running a business on gut feel alone is a recipe for operational chaos and will ultimately limit your company value. To build a data driven habit with this team profile, you must make the Scorecard as simple and frictionless as possible. Do not overwhelm them with thirty metrics. Keep the Scorecard to the absolute vital few, aiming for five to ten high level numbers. The data collection process must be streamlined, with automated systems feeding the spreadsheet whenever possible so they do not have to manually gather the data. Next, leverage the Integrator to enforce accountability. The Integrator must hold the line during the weekly Level 10 Meeting, ensuring the Scorecard is reviewed in exactly five minutes. If a metric is missing, it is treated as an issue and placed on the IDS list. Do not allow debates about why a number is missing; simply call it out. By keeping the tracking highly visible and the process brief, you respect their conative energy while maintaining operational discipline. Over time, as they see how the data predicts problems before they occur, even your lowest Follow Thru team members will begin to rely on the Scorecard.