We are about to start our annual planning session with you but realize we need to replace our head of sales. Should we wait to hire their replacement before we book the session?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Do not delay your annual planning session to wait for a replacement. This is a common trap that stalls business progress. The reality is that the EOS® process is exactly what you need to help you define what that new hire actually needs to accomplish.

If you have an open seat, or if you are about to terminate a leader, we will proceed with the session. During our session, we will treat that seat as vacant on the Accountability Chart. This allows us to objectively look at the five roles of that seat without being influenced by the personality of the outgoing or incoming person.

In fact, doing your annual planning with a vacant seat can be highly advantageous:
- It forces the remaining leadership team members to step up and temporarily own those responsibilities, giving them deep insight into what the seat requires.
- It allows us to set clear, objective Rocks for the incoming leader so they know exactly what they are accountable for from day one.
- It ensures you hire for GWC™ based on the future needs of the business, not just to patch a temporary hole.

We will run the session with your current, core leadership team. We do not bring in recruiters or temporary contractors. We make the hard strategic decisions, and then you use that clarity to hire the right person.