Maybe you’ve heard the Jim Collins phrase “first who, then what”, or “get the right people in the right seats on the bus.”

Collins’ concept is clear that having the right people in the right roles is the first step before strategy, vision, and BHAG’s come into play. And on the flip side, ensuring that the wrong people are taken out of the seats that don’t suit them or the organization before they are entrusted with responsibility over a part of the business they will be ill-equipped to manage.

We’ve learned in our many years of coaching businesses that starting here is key. Clarifying the main functions of the business and determining who is in the right seats and who isn’t allows the business to address the challenges at the root before we get into the weeds. 

So, how do we know if they are the right people? How do we know if they are in the right “seat” or role in the company?

As a leader, you can probably make a pretty discerning guess on your own just by what you’ve observed of the people on your team. What you need to be able to do though is come to a clear consensus with your leadership team, and create a formula for how you can talk about what you observe in common language. 

Within the System & Soulᵀᴹ Framework, we use a concept called Healthy F.I.T.

It’s a two-part concept that tells you:

1. Is this person in the right role? (F.I.T.)
2. Then, are they aligned with our values? (Healthy) More on this idea here…

F.I.T. comes down to three simple questions:

• F - Does this function or role FUEL their Unique Ability®?
• I - Can they create a significant, positive IMPACT in this role?
• T - Is the role TIMELY for their EQ, IQ, expertise, trajectory, and experience? And is it also TIMELY for the business’ trajectory and the team member’s ability to meet the needs of that role?  

Your answer should be a resounding YES for all three to keep that individual in the role they’re in. But if you hesitated, if you thought MAYBE or NO, then you’ve also created clarity about what needs to happen next.

You and your team can start to ask questions like:

• If they don’t have the right FUEL for this role, are you risking burning them out? Are they gifted in a way that they are underutilized? Are they lacking motivation or drive?
• If they can’t create IMPACT, are they going to be able to drive and grow the outputs of this position? Are they coasting? Are they limited by some other factors we should consider?
• If it isn’t TIMELY, can we train them or coach them? Is it because we need someone more or less experienced at this time?

You may also discover that the team members you have are a good F.I.T for a period of time, but you need to start thinking about who you want in 6 months or a year. Or, you could determine that the best thing you can do is leave a seat empty instead of having a poor F.I.T. 

The decisions you make will be wholly dependent on the unique circumstances in your business. But the F.I.T. formula can be your way to ask the right questions on a regular basis to test if you have the right people in the right seats on your bus.