We created a Special Projects seat on our Accountability Chart for a long-time manager who was struggling in his original role but whom we did not want to lose. Now, this seat has become a dumping ground for random tasks, and our leadership team is confused about who actually owns these projects. How do we fix this structural loophole?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A Special Projects seat is almost always a symptom of a leadership team avoiding a difficult human decision. In EOS®, every seat on your Accountability Chart must have three to five clearly defined, ongoing, and measurable responsibilities. If a seat exists only to house a loyal employee who no longer fits elsewhere, it is a phantom seat that causes operational confusion and erodes accountability.

To resolve this, you must eliminate the Special Projects seat entirely. Review the tasks currently assigned to it and relocate them to their correct functional seats, whether that is Operations, Marketing, or Technology.

Once those tasks are reassigned, run an honest GWC™ and core values check on the manager. If there is a legitimate, vacant seat in your new structure that they get, want, and have the capacity to fill, place them there. If no such seat exists, you must make the hard, professional decision to transition them out of the organization. Keeping someone in a manufactured seat sends a message to your entire team that performance is optional, which degrades your culture and lowers the overall efficiency of your business.