In last week’s post, we explored the importance of getting the right people on the bus—bringing the right talent into your organization. Now, let’s take the next step: ensuring those people are in the right seats. What does this mean? It’s about aligning employees with roles where they can leverage their greatest skills and passions.
As a foundation for identifying if employees are in the right seat, you need to have:
Structured Roles: Establish well-defined roles with specific responsibilities, required skills, and clear expectations.
Success Factors: Identify the behaviors, skills, and values critical for success in each role.
6 steps to assess the right fit for each seat on the bus:
#1 Assess Individual Strengths and Interests
Utilize Strength Assessments: Tools like the Working Genius assessment and CliftonStrengths can uncover employees' natural talents and work styles.
The Working Genius is my fav! It is a fairly short assessment that is easy to understand and aligns with how work gets done. From the results, individuals discover the types of work their natural gifts and talents, and the types of work that lead to frustration and burnout.
Understand Career Aspirations: Regularly discuss employees' goals to align their ambitions with organizational needs.
Gather Holistic Feedback: Combine peer input, supervisor observations, and self-assessments to get a comprehensive view of an employee’s strengths and fit.
#2 Compare Performance to Expectations
Performance Alignment: Evaluate whether current performance matches the role's requirements. Identify gaps and highlight things that are going well.
#3 Ensure Core Values Fit
Behavioral Alignment: Assess whether employees’ actions and attitudes align with the organization’s core values.
Cultural Integration: Employees who embody your values will contribute positively to your culture and mission. Employees who don't fit with your Core Values can do a lot of damage to your organizational culture, even if their performance is good. Think of the high-achieving Sales Rep who is killing it by bringing in new business but leaves destruction in his path within the organization.
#4 Encourage Open Communication
One-on-One Conversations: Regularly meet with employees to discuss their experiences, challenges, and aspirations. Engage them with questions like, “What aspects of your job do you enjoy most?” or “Are there other areas where you feel you could contribute more?”
#5 Foster Development and Growth Opportunities
Skill Exploration & Career Plans: Provide opportunities for employees to explore different roles and tasks and develop new skills. Then, support growth plans that align individual development with organizational needs.
#6 Conduct a GWC Assessment
Ask yourself these three critical questions to ensure the right fit:
Do They Get It? Does the employee understand the role, culture, systems, and pace?
Do They Want It? Are they genuinely motivated to perform the role?
Do They Have the Capacity? Do they have the time, skills, and emotional capacity to excel?
If the answer to any of these is 'no', you likely have an issue that needs addressing.
Adapted from EOS
What do I do if there is role misalignment?
If It's the Right Person, Wrong Seat
Situation: The individual aligns with core values but isn’t working in their area of greatest strengths and talents.
Solution: Have honest conversations about the misalignment. Explore potential role adjustments, additional training, or a different seat where they can thrive.
If It's the Wrong Person, Right Seat
Situation: The employee performs well but doesn’t align with your core values.
Solution: This misalignment can undermine your culture. It’s often best to part ways, even if their performance is strong! Use your organization's performance improvement process to move them up or out of the organization.
Final Thoughts
Ensuring the right people are in the right seats requires clear communication, regular assessment, and a commitment to both individual and organizational growth. When employees are aligned with roles that fit their strengths and passions, everyone wins—they thrive, and so does your organization!
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