We are trying to design our Accountability Chart, but we are stuck because our current leadership team members have highly specialized, hybrid skills that do not fit standard department seats. How do we break this structural deadlock?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This structural deadlock occurs because you are designing the Accountability Chart around your current people rather than the needs of the business. This is a common trap that keeps businesses dependent on specific individuals and lowers your valuation before an exit.

To break this deadlock, you must enforce the rule of structure first, people second. You must completely remove all names from the Accountability Chart during your design session. Imagine you are building a brand-new company from scratch that is designed to hit your three-year financial targets.

Define the ideal seats, starting with the three major functions of sales and marketing, operations, and finance, along with the Integrator and Visionary seats. Under each seat, write the five core roles required to make that function highly successful. Do not think about who currently works for you.

Once the ideal structure is finalized, only then do you look at your people. Run a GWC™ check on each team member against the new seats. If a team member has hybrid skills, they may temporarily occupy two different seats on the chart, provided they have the GWC™ for both. However, each seat must have only one name accountable for it. By separating structure from people, you build an organization that is scalable and attractive to future buyers.