“There’s No Such Thing as a Bad Employee” — Matthew Person on Organizational Alignment

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Matthew Person

What if most performance problems aren’t people problems at all?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Matthew Person, founder of Town Square Advisors, to challenge one of the most common assumptions in leadership: that disengagement, underperformance, or turnover is the fault of the employee.

Drawing on experience as an entrepreneur, executive, investment banker, and acquirer of businesses, Matthew explains why misalignment, not incompetence, is usually the real issue. He introduces the thinking behind the Square Management System, a practical framework for intentionally designing organizations that balance trust, autonomy, and accountability.

This conversation is for leaders who are tired of chasing culture trends, managing by exception, or feeling trapped between innovation and control.

About Matthew Person

Matthew Person is the founder of Town Square Advisors and the creator of the Square Management System. He has worked across small businesses, large enterprises, and acquisitions, giving him deep insight into what creates sustainable value inside organizations.

Matthew is the author of the forthcoming book The Culture of Alignment, which outlines a structured, actionable approach to building high-trust, high-performing teams by aligning people, systems, and decision-making.

In this episode, Thomas and Matthew discuss:

• Why labeling people as “bad employees” misses the real issue
• How misaligned systems create disengagement over time
• The flaw in copying “best places to work” cultures
• What organizational alignment actually looks like in practice
• Balancing constraint and freedom inside teams
• Why empowered micro-decisions increase speed and trust
• Designing companies people can succeed inside

Key Takeaways

• Most performance issues are system failures
  People struggle when environments are misdesigned.
• Culture must be intentional, not copied
  What works for one company may fail in another.
• Alignment creates trust and momentum
  Clear boundaries allow teams to move faster together.
• Autonomy needs structure to work
  Freedom without direction leads to chaos.
• Right people need the right box
  Fit matters more than labels.

Connect with Matthew Person

🌐 Website: https://townsquare-advisors.com/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdperson/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
📧 Email: [e-mail]
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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