We have rolled out the People Analyzer™ to our department managers, but they are treating the Core Values ratings as a routine check-the-box exercise rather than a tool for real accountability. How do we get our managers to use the People Analyzer™ to make hard hiring, firing, and coaching decisions?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When department managers treat the People Analyzer as a check-the-box exercise, it is usually because they are afraid of conflict or do not understand how to use the tool for real coaching. They give everyone a passing grade to avoid having difficult conversations with their direct reports. To break this habit, you must train your managers to use the tool as an active management resource, not a quarterly administrative task. Start by holding your leadership team to the highest standard. Show your managers how you use the People Analyzer to make hard decisions at the leadership level. Next, establish clear rules for what a plus, plus-minus, or minus actually means in terms of observable behavior. A manager cannot just give a plus out of habit. They must be able to cite a specific example from the last ninety days where the employee demonstrated that Core Value. Conversely, if there is a plus-minus or a minus, it must trigger an immediate conversation with the employee. Create a standard rule that any rating below the bar requires a formal thirty-day strike plan to help the employee correct the behavior. By enforcing this discipline, you turn the People Analyzer into an objective tool that eliminates personal bias and forces managers to address performance and culture issues head-on.