I found Traction to be one of the most consequential business books Iâve read. I donât love every part of how itâs written, but there is one section in the book about having the right people in the right seats â identifying peopleâs unique skills, and how to align your whole business to run super efficiently.
Having the âright personâ in the âright seatâ involves using a specific tool which I have used for years as a manager to understand who to hire, reward, and part ways with if needed. Before being able to do this, you need to understand the 3-5 core responsibilities of a role with confidence, and what the wider company/team culture is.
GWC
âGWCâ is a concept from the Traction book and the wider âEntrepreneurial Operating Systemâ system (I know I eyerolled too). It talks about a person getting it, wanting it, and having the capacity to do it.
Get it
Does the person get it? Do they truly understand the role, the culture, and what it means to deliver good outcomes? If they donât, itâs not the right role for them. No amount of trying will fix that.
Want it
Do they want the role? Are they motivated to do the job? Motivation doesnât mean compromising yourself â you can be motivated by money. But do they want to work for the company, in the role, at the level, and for the pay? If any of these are a no itâs also a non-starter.
When this one hasnât worked out, itâs often been about the role/level. People have come in at a level they are unhappy with and have tried to speedrun a correction to the level they want rather than promotion at the right time. This isnât ideal because it places stress on the manager to invent roles or otherwise unduly-promote people.
Capacity to do it
Do they have the skills and time to do the job well? Not having the capacity to do a job can also be emotional and talk about âheadspaceâ which relates to personal factors. Peopleâs headspace for their job can also ebb and flow which can be ok.
What is critical?
Simply, if a person does not get it or want it, youâre doing both of you a disservice by pretending that can change.
If a person lacks the capacity to do the job, it is not as binary as âget itâ or âwant itâ â it can be worked on. But this requires investment of time and potentially other resources that not all business can absorb. If you can provide the resources to help someone find the capacity to do it, then you should, but understand the cost in this and understand that itâs a concession youâre making.