“Why don’t they get it?”
“I figured it out—why can’t they?”
I hear versions of these lines from owners every week. The pattern behind them is almost always the same: someone was moved into a role because they were loyal, available, or “seemed like a fit,” but no one wrote down exactly what success looked like. Expectations were implied, not explicit. Reviews were subjective. KPIs didn’t exist—or lived only in the owner’s head. The result? Regretful exits, frustrated leaders, and months lost trying to “coach someone into” a seat they shouldn’t have been in.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Clear expectations, objective job reviews, and role-specific KPIs create accountability and make it obvious whether you have the right person in the right seat.
The cost of vague roles
When a role is fuzzy, everyone fills in the blanks differently:
- The owner expects initiative; the employee thinks they’re supposed to wait for direction.
- The manager wants proactive communication; the employee thinks “no news is good news.”
- The team measures effort; the business needs outcomes.
This gap drives rework, missed handoffs, and “attention to the wrong details.” Without a shared definition of success, even strong people struggle.
The accountability trio: Expectations, Reviews, KPIs
Think of accountability as a three-legged stool:
- Written Expectations (Role Clarity).
A short, specific document that answers: Why does this role exist? What outcomes must it deliver? What behaviors are expected here? If two competent leaders can’t read it and agree on what “good” looks like, it isn’t clear enough. - Objective Job Reviews (Cadence & Rubric).
A consistent review format and schedule—monthly one-on-ones and quarterly evaluations—scored against the same expectations every time. Calibration prevents “manager drift.” - Role-Specific KPIs (Evidence).
3–5 metrics tied directly to the outcomes. KPIs don’t replace judgment; they inform it. They make conversations factual instead of personal.
With those three in place, hiring, onboarding, and performance management all become simpler—and kinder. People know what “winning” looks like.
A simple build: From blank page to clarity in 90 minutes
Use this quick workshop to define any role:
- Purpose (1–2 sentences).
“This role exists to… [primary outcome].” - Top 5 Responsibilities (verbs + nouns).
Start each line with an action: Qualify inbound leads; Maintain weekly production schedule; Reconcile A/R; etc. - Behavioral Expectations (5–7 bullets).
Tie to your values: Owns outcomes, communicates early, documents decisions, follows standard work, improves processes. - Outcomes & KPIs (3–5).
Examples:
- Sales: First-response time; Meetings set; Pipeline coverage; Win rate.
- Operations: On-time completion; First-pass yield; Schedule accuracy; Rework rate.
- Finance: Days sales outstanding; Close accuracy; Variance-to-budget; Aging >60 days.
- Customer Service: CSAT; Resolution time; SLA compliance; Ticket reopen rate.
- Definition of Done.
For each responsibility, write what “done right” means in measurable or observable terms. - Handoffs & Interfaces.
Where does work come from? Where does it go? What must be true at each handoff? - Review Cadence & Rubric.
Set monthly 1:1s and a quarterly scored review (1–5 scale) across Outcomes, Process, Behaviors. Include space for coaching notes and commitments. - 90-Day Onboarding Plan.
Week-by-week milestones, training, and early KPI targets that ramp to full expectations.
Capture all of this on a one-page job scorecard and share it before you hire or promote. If you already have someone in the seat, build it with them to create buy-in.
Hiring & promotion: Stop guessing, start matching
Use the scorecard as your interview and promotion script:
- Evidence questions: “Tell me about a time you improved [KPI] and how you did it.”
- Work sample: A small task that mirrors the real job (e.g., build a mini production schedule, draft a client response, analyze a sample P&L variance).
- Fit test (Get it / Want it / Capacity):
- Get it: Do they naturally understand the seat?
- Want it: Do they genuinely want the work this role does?
- Capacity: Do they have the skills/time/energy to do it consistently?
When the seat is explicit, interviews get easier and promotions become less political and more predictable.
Objective reviews: Make growth obvious
A quarterly review should answer three questions:
- Did outcomes improve? (trend the KPIs)
- Was the process followed? (standards, documentation, handoffs)
- Were behaviors demonstrated? (values in action)
Score each area 1–5 with examples. End with 2–3 commitments for the next quarter tied to KPIs. The next review opens by checking those commitments. Over time, this creates a rhythm of improvement that avoids surprises and “gotcha” moments.
When it’s not working: Re-seat or release—humanely
If someone struggles, diagnose first:
- Clarity issue? Tighten expectations and training.
- Skill gap? Add coaching, SOPs, and interim milestones.
- Will/fit issue? Consider a different seat aligned to their strengths.
Set a clear, time-bound plan (e.g., 6–8 weeks), with weekly check-ins on KPIs and behaviors. If progress isn’t real and sustained, move decisively. Your team—and the person—deserve a role match, not prolonged frustration.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
- Too many KPIs. Pick the critical few; retire vanity metrics.
- Subjective reviews. Calibrate managers quarterly; use the same rubric across teams.
- One-and-done documentation. Revisit scorecards annually or when strategy changes.
- Promoting for tenure. Reward loyalty, yes—but seat decisions must be about outcomes and fit.
Start small this month
Pick one role that feels fuzzy. In the next 30 days:
- Draft the scorecard (90 minutes).
- Review it with the person in the seat (60 minutes).
- Align on KPIs and the next quarter’s targets (30 minutes).
- Schedule monthly 1:1s and the quarterly review (5 minutes).
You’ll be amazed how quickly performance conversations shift from frustration to facts—and how much easier it becomes to see who’s in the right seat.
Bottom line: Writing clear expectations, running objective reviews, and attaching 3–5 role-specific KPIs turns accountability from a personality contest into a system. Owners stop mind-reading. Teams stop guessing. And the business finally gets the consistent results it was built to deliver.
