We have an employee who is a massive cultural fit and everyone loves them, but they simply cannot hit their seat's measurables even after three coaching sessions. How do we make the hard right-person-right-seat call when it is purely a GWC™ issue rather than a core values issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When dealing with a great core values fit who is struggling to perform, business owners often delay making a decision because of personal loyalty. This is a mistake. Keeping someone in a seat they do not GWC™ is unfair to them, demoralizing to the team, and damaging to the business.

You must separate the person from the seat. Use the GWC™ tool to evaluate them objectively:
- Do they get it? Do they naturally understand the systems and challenges of the role?
- Do they want it? Do they have the genuine drive and passion to do this work every day?
- Do they have the capacity? Do they possess the cognitive, physical, and conative abilities required to succeed?

If the answer to any of these is no, they are in the wrong seat. Because they are a right person, your first step should be to look for another seat on your Accountability Chart where they can succeed.

If no such seat exists, or if they lack the capacity to scale with the company's growth, you must transition them out of the business. Continuing to tolerate underperformance because they are nice sends a message to your entire team that your standards do not actually matter.