We consolidated our Marketing Director and Product Manager roles into a single seat during a revenue dip. Now that we are growing again, this leader is failing her Rocks. How do we determine if she is the wrong person for this consolidated seat, or if the seat itself is structurally broken?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Consolidating seats during a revenue dip is a common survival tactic, but keeping them consolidated during growth is a recipe for operational failure. When a high-performing leader begins failing her Rocks, you must determine if you have a people issue or a structural issue.

To diagnose this, separate the seats on your Accountability Chart. Draw the Marketing Director seat and the Product Manager seat as two distinct boxes. List the five core roles for each seat.

Next, look at the physical capacity required to execute both seats. Even if your leader gets and wants both roles, running two major departments is a full-time job for two separate people. If the combined roles require sixty hours of intense weekly execution, she lacks the physical capacity to succeed. She fails the GWC™ test because of structure, not capability.

The solution is to split the seats immediately. Keep your leader in the single seat that best aligns with her unique ability and passion.

Once she is focused on a single seat with clear, manageable roles, her performance should return to its high standard. You can then look to hire a new person, use a fractional leader, or leverage automated tools to fill the newly vacated second seat. Never allow a structural overload to force a great employee out of your company.