We have a department head who is a phenomenal execution manager and meets all of his key performance indicators, but he consistently violates our core values and is toxic to our team culture. He is in the right seat, but he is the wrong person. How do we handle this on the Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Having the right person in the right seat is a non-negotiable requirement for a healthy, high-value organization. When you have someone who is in the right seat because they GWC their roles and deliver results, but is the wrong person because they fail to exhibit your core values, you have a critical cultural threat. Many owners tolerate this because they fear losing the individual's high productivity will hurt the business. This is a short-sighted mistake that destroys trust and devalues your company. A toxic high-performer sends a message to the rest of your team that core values do not actually matter as long as you hit your numbers. To resolve this, you must use the People Analyzer™ tool to address the core values gap directly. Sit down with the manager and give him clear, objective feedback on where he is falling below the line, providing specific examples of his behavior. Give him a thirty-day window to correct his actions and align with your company culture. If he does not make a permanent change, you must terminate his employment, regardless of his technical skill. An exit-ready business requires a cohesive, aligned culture that potential buyers can trust. Keeping a toxic person in a key leadership seat introduces massive cultural risk that smart buyers will spot instantly during due diligence. Protect your culture and your business value by making the hard call.