My EOS colleague, Jim Coyle, wrote a great article titled. It reminded me of when we see great athlete
s that don’t do well in the pros after doing so well in college. We see it very often with Heisman trophy
winners. Is it the athlete or is it the system they’re placed in where they don’t flourish?
Tim Tebow was great in the college system where he played, but the pro league couldn’t find a fit for him in their system. Boris Diaw of the San Antonio Spurs is a great example of someone having a slow start in his career and then flourished in a system that fit him. When it looked like all the teams were passing on him because he “passed too much”, the Spurs picked him up and he was instrumental in one of the best NBA Championships ever played in 2014, leading all players in the series in total assists (29) and was second in total rebounds (43) behind teammate Tim Duncan (50), winning his first NBA Championship. He embodied the spirit of the Spurs in their passing plays.
Sometimes it’s too easy to look at our new hire and think he’s a bust. But is it the person or the system we’ve put him in? Are we using their God-given skills and talents and placing them in the Right Seat? When implementing EOS, we are very careful in helping clients create an Accountability Chart to ensure that we have the Right Person in the Right Seat. We have to have both (as Jim Collins would say). Could Tim Tebow have flourished in the Right Seat with the Right Team? What would have happened to Boris Diaw if nobody noticed his gift for passing the ball?
Do you have the Right People in the Right Seats? Don’t be too quick to blame it on the person. You may have to look at your System to see if that’s the root cause. Of course, not all people are right for your System. But if you are constantly losing talent and your business is stuck, it may be time to look at your System.
To Your Business Health!