Getting the Right People in the Right Seat

In his bestselling book, Good to Great, author Jim Collins popularized the concept that a critical element to an organization’s success comes down to getting the right people in the right seat. No matter how much time a leadership team spends developing their vision with a business coach and communicating those shared goals and beliefs throughout the business, it does little good if they don’t have the right structure in place and the right people for the job.

For business coaches, finding the right people for the right seat doesn’t just mean putting together a team who shares the core values of the company. Finding people who fit and thrive in the business, and who will blend in well with the company culture is essential, but placing those right people into the right seats is also essential. While it sounds simple enough, many leaders and managers find themselves holding onto people who aren’t contributing to the overall vision of the business simply because they aren’t comfortable letting someone go or changing the role. For leadership teams and business coaches, however, it’s essential to take a look at each of the roles and responsibilities that your current staff holds. If you find any individuals or roles that just don’t seem to fit in with the core values and vision for the business, then it’s probably time to restructure.

Dan Sullivan, co-founder of Strategic Coach created the concept Unique Ability® to describe when individuals are in the right seat, working within their area of greatest skill and passion, and the roles and responsibilities that are expected of them. That combination of passion and talent acts as an individual’s core focus. Individuals who are operating within their Unique Ability are definitely in the right seat.

Getting people into the right seat won’t happen without clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations being defined and communicated. When seats aren’t well defined, it’s impossible to fill them correctly, so business coaches will often recommend changing problem areas or eliminating positions altogether as a way to gain traction. When you’ve got everyone in the right seat, the entire organization can stay focused on a shared vision, working toward common goals that are designed to help the business grow and develop.

Unique Ability® is a registered trademark, copyright and concept owned by The Strategic Coach Inc.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.  www.strategiccoach.com