We have a leadership team member who perfectly embodies our core values but is consistently missing their Rocks and failing to hit their scorecard metrics. How long do we coach them before we decide they are in the wrong seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is painful when a leadership team member perfectly aligns with your core values but consistently fails to execute their Rocks and hit their scorecard metrics. Because they are a Right Person, you naturally want to give them more time, but keeping them in a seat they cannot fulfill hurts the entire organization. You must use the GWC framework to diagnose the issue. Do they truly understand the role, do they want it, and do they have the capacity to do it? If they have the core values and the desire, the issue is almost always Capacity. They may lack the skills, the emotional bandwidth, or the intellectual capability to handle the growing seat. Give them a clear, thirty-day coaching plan with measurable, weekly metrics. This is not about micromanaging, but about determining if they can hit the required standards with focused support. If they still cannot perform at the end of the thirty days, you must make a move. Keeping a Right Person in the Wrong Seat is unfair to them and to the team that has to pick up the slack. Transition them to a different seat on the Accountability Chart where they can succeed, or part ways with them cleanly.