Being the Right Person in the Wrong Seat

“The most powerful drive in the ascent of man is his pleasure in his own skill. He loves to do what he does well and, having done it well, he loves to do it better.” - Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man

A few weeks ago, I published an article that discussed people who quit learning or didn’t seem to want to improve. When I came across the above Bronowski quote, I began to think that perhaps the people who are done learning or don’t want to improve are probably engaged in an activity that they aren’t very good at, and they don’t enjoy. They are not doing what they love so they are not very good at it and can see no value at getting better at it. It is, perhaps, not simply a lack of motivation, but rather a mismatch in aptitude and occupation that causes this apathetic approach to improvement.

This brought to mind the adage, popularized by Jim Collins, that getting the right person in the right seat is paramount.

But what happens when you have the right person, (i.e. they have the right values, cultural compatibility, etc.) in the wrong seat (i.e. the position doesn’t play to their strengths or abilities)? This often happens when someone is promoted into a senior position because they have been with the company for a long time, or were promoted because they are popular.

Someone could also be the right person in the wrong seat because they have outgrown the seat when they’ve been in it too long. Things have become routine and boring, and learning has stopped. They are no longer moving the things forward because they have lost their drive. Either way, having the right person in the wrong seat is damaging to the business.

When you as a leader are assessing your team, bestselling author Gino Wickman suggests a simple checklist for determining is someone is in the right seat:

• Do they get it? Do they have the abilities and smarts to understand the role?
• Do they want it? Do they have the sincere desire for the role?
• Do they have the capacity to do it? Do they have the intellectual, emotional, and physical capacity to do the job?

As a leader you should be able to recognize when someone is the right person in the wrong seat. You should be able to consider options for correcting that either by moving them to a seat with a better fit or helping them out the door.

But what do you do when the person in the wrong seat is you?

?How do you know you’re in the wrong seat?

There are lots of symptoms that you are the right person in the wrong seat. Mostly, it comes down to just being constantly uncomfortable or downright miserable in the position. Some symptoms include:

• You’ve been in the position a while but still don’t fully grasp your responsibilities
• You loath your meetings, and you are the one running them
• You find yourself hoping nobody asks you a tough question you know you should know the answers to but don't
• You aren’t excited to go to work and interact with coworkers or customers

These symptoms usually point to a shortfall in the above-mentioned assessment: Do you Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity for it? If you are honest with yourself about these three things, you will know if you are in the wrong seat.

?What do you do when you’re in the wrong seat?

Once you know you are in the wrong seat you have to do something about it. This isn’t about learning a new role, which takes time, but a real mismatch in your Get it, Want it, Capacity assessment. ?So when you realize you’re not in the right place, you need to have a serious discussion with your stakeholders, because you need to move. Whether you move to another seat in the same company is a matter of available opportunity, but you will need to move nonetheless.

Too many people stay in positions they know they aren’t a right fit for. They like the title, the paycheck, or the power. They like the parking spot or the corner office. Deep down most of them realize they aren’t in the right seat but they don’t want to give up the perks.

But once you realize you are in the wrong seat, you need to leave it. Leaving a wrong seat takes courage and humility, and it takes a strong person to acknowledge the poor fit. Now is the time to be that kind of strong. By remaining in the wrong seat you are no longer helping the company, your people, or yourself. You have stopped growing and learning, and you have most likely stopped helping others grow.

?Go find the right seat!

It is important to remember that this isn’t about you as a person or a leader, it is about the role you are in. Remember, you are the right person in the wrong seat. You have the right values and attitude and will thrive when you’re in the right seat. Now is the time to find that role.

This isn’t the time to follow the conventional wisdom of “follow your passion.” This is the time to find the role that best fits your abilities. This is about finding a seat where you Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity for it. As author Cal Newport says, “passion is a byproduct of mastery…” not the other way around.

Finding the right seat is about remaining the right person and matching your aptitudes with the role, and making sure that the new seat is with people who share your values and whose culture is compatible with your own. When you are the right person in the right seat, you will thrive!

?

Bob Dixon is a?leadership coach,?a strategic consultant, a?trusted advisor, and?Certified High Performance Coach?at Arete Strategic Consulting. He is a combat veteran with over thirty years of military service and a passion for helping people be more awesome.

?He is the author of?Leadership Insight: Challenging What We Think We Know?and dozens of articles on leadership and national security.