Our warehouse manager is a flawless culture fit, but he simply does not have the capacity to run our new automated inventory software. He fails the GWC™ test for the seat. How do we transition him to a lower-level seat without making him feel humiliated or causing him to quit?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic Right Person, Wrong Seat dilemma. Your warehouse manager shares your Core Values, which means he is a Right Person. However, because he lacks the technical capacity to run the automated inventory software, he is in the Wrong Seat. To maintain the health of your business, you cannot let him stay in that seat.

To handle this transition respectfully, you must have an open and honest conversation rooted in the Trust pillar of Our Charter. Sit down with him privately and address the issue directly. Do not beat around the bush. Explain that the requirements of the seat have changed with the introduction of the new software, and you want him to succeed, but the current alignment is not working.

Most of the time, employees who are struggling are already stressed out and relieved when the pressure is lifted. Offer him a different seat in the organization where he does GWC™ the roles, such as a hands-on logistics coordinator or a senior inventory specialist seat that does not require managing the software system.

Frame the transition as an alignment of his unique abilities with the needs of the business, rather than a demotion. If he is truly a Right Person, he will appreciate your honesty and want what is best for the company. If his ego prevents him from accepting the new seat, then you must part ways cleanly.