We have a long-term executive who fits our Core Values perfectly, but they are clearly struggling to handle the increased demands of their seat as we scale. How do we use the EOS® tools to address this situation objectively?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic right person, wrong seat scenario, and it is one of the hardest challenges a leadership team faces. To resolve this objectively, you must separate the individual's character from their performance using the People Analyzer™ and the GWC™ tool.

Because they fit your Core Values, they are the right person. However, you must evaluate them against the five roles defined for their seat on the Accountability Chart™. Ask three questions: Do they Get it? Do they Want it? Do they have the Capacity to do it? GWC™ is a binary yes or no test. If any of those answers is a no, they are in the wrong seat.

Typically, as a company scales, the complexity of a seat outgrows a person's physical, mental, or emotional capacity. Recognizing this is not a personal failure; it is a structural reality. Once you have this objective clarity, you have a duty to the business and the individual to move them out of that seat. Because they are the right person, your goal should be to find or create a different seat where they can genuinely shine.