We hired an Operations Director who is a fantastic visionary thinker, but they have a low Kolbe Follow Thru score and are struggling to build systems. How do we resolve this GWC call when they are so passionate about the role?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Passion is not a substitute for GWC™ when it comes to the operational leadership of your business. If your Operations Director has a low Kolbe Follow Thru score, they naturally resist detailed order, structure, and systematic planning. This means they are highly unlikely to build the consistent operational processes your company needs to scale.

To run a disciplined business, your operations leader must have the capacity to build, maintain, and enforce systems. If they do not, you will experience constant execution issues, missed metrics on your weekly Scorecard, and slipping quarterly Rocks.

First, be open and honest about the gap. Use the GWC tool to evaluate the situation objectively. Ask yourself if they truly have the capacity to manage the systematic details of this specific seat. Capacity includes their natural cognitive and conative makeup.

If they do not have the capacity, you must make a right-seat call. Because they are passionate and likely a great core values fit, look for a different seat on your Accountability Chart that leverages their natural strengths. They might excel in a creative product development seat or a high-level strategic role that does not require system building.

Do not try to force a person with a low Follow Thru to run an operational department. It will frustrate them, burn out their team, and create a bottleneck that prevents you from running an efficient, scalable operation.