We have a long-term employee who is a perfect core values fit and a cultural anchor for our team, but his operational seat was completely automated by our new software tools. We do not have an open seat that fits his skills. Do we create a seat to keep him, or let him go?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the hardest situations an owner faces, but you must remain unsentimental. Keeping a person on payroll when they do not have a seat on your Accountability Chart is a major business mistake that drains resources and confuses the team.

When automation eliminates a seat, you cannot create a fake, low-value seat just to keep a beloved employee. Doing so compromises the integrity of your chart and sets a dangerous precedent that loyalty overrides business needs.

First, review your entire Accountability Chart to see if there is a genuine, vacant seat where this person fits. Run them through the GWC process for that vacant seat. Do they truly understand, want, and have the mental capacity for this new role?

If they do not GWC any open seat, you must let them go. The most respectful thing you can do for a great employee is to transition them out of the company with a generous severance package and a stellar reference.

Explain to them that the business has evolved, and the role they excelled at no longer exists. Assure them that this is an operational decision, not a reflection of their character or past performance. By releasing them, you allow them to find an organization where their skills are genuinely needed, while keeping your business lean, profitable, and ready for scaling.