We need to promote someone to run our marketing department, but we are torn between a highly loyal internal manager who is a high Follow Thru but lacks strategic Quick Start initiative, and an expensive external hire. How do we use the Kolbe C Index to determine if our loyal insider can actually survive the role?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To make an objective decision, you must separate your personal feelings of loyalty from the actual conative requirements of the seat. This is where comparing the Kolbe A and Kolbe C indexes is invaluable. First, have the direct manager of the marketing seat complete a Kolbe C index. This assessment defines the instinctive striving behaviors required to succeed in that specific job. It will tell you if the role actually requires high Quick Start initiative to launch constant experiments, or if it requires high Follow Thru to build and maintain marketing systems. Second, look at the internal candidate's Kolbe A results. If the Kolbe C shows that the role demands a high Quick Start score of eight to ten to navigate constant ambiguity, but your loyal internal candidate has a Quick Start score of two, there is a severe conative mismatch. No amount of loyalty or product knowledge can bridge that gap. If you force them into that seat, they will experience extreme conative strain, leading to burnout and eventual failure. Third, compare the profiles. If the Kolbe C actually reveals that the department needs systematic execution, structure, and process management rather than rapid experimentation, your high Follow Thru internal manager might be the perfect fit. Use this data-driven approach to decide. If there is a massive mismatch, protect your loyal employee by keeping them in a seat where they can thrive, and look externally for a candidate whose natural conative strengths align perfectly with the Kolbe C requirements.