We have a Quality Assurance and Client Retention seat on our Accountability Chart that requires meticulous detail and systems adherence, but the person currently sitting there is struggling because their Kolbe Index shows a very low Follow Thru. Do we redesign the seat to fit their personality, or do we move them out of the seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You must never redesign a seat to fit a person's cognitive style if doing so compromises the core requirements of that seat. The business needs what the business needs. A Quality Assurance and Client Retention seat inherently requires a high degree of order, systematic follow-up, and meticulous documentation. If you weaken these roles to accommodate a low Follow Thru, your quality will suffer, client churn will increase, and your exit valuation will take a massive hit.

This is a classic GWC issue, specifically under the Capacity portion. Capacity is not just about intelligence or working long hours, it is also about conative alignment. Someone with a low Follow Thru and a high Quickstart instinctively problem-solves through rapid experimentation and change, not through systematic routine. They will constantly feel drained and frustrated trying to force themselves to operate in a high Follow Thru environment.

The correct move is to find a right-seat call for this individual. Their high Quickstart is highly valuable, but it belongs in a seat that rewards adaptability, such as new product development, sales, or strategic initiatives.

Once you transition them out of the Quality Assurance seat, recruit a candidate who naturally possesses a high Follow Thru and thrives on building and maintaining systems. By placing the right person with the right cognitive wiring in the seat, you ensure your quality systems are executed flawlessly without constant management oversight.