We need to add an information security and compliance seat to our Accountability Chart to meet the requirements of enterprise buyers for our upcoming exit, but none of our current leadership team members want to own it because it is tedious, technical, and carries high liability. How do we handle an essential seat that everyone GWC-evades?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You cannot leave a vital seat empty, nor can you sprinkle its responsibilities across multiple people. In EOS®, accountability must reside in a single seat, with one name in that seat. If you have a critical function that your current team lacks the time, interest, or skills to manage, you have an unowned seat that requires immediate resolution.

To address this gap, start by clearly defining the five major roles of this compliance seat. Do not try to force an unwilling leadership team member to take it on, because if they do not GWC™ the seat, they will neglect the responsibilities, leading to missed Rocks and failed audits.

Instead, evaluate your options systematically using these steps:
- Determine if you can combine these compliance roles with another seat that has similar technical attributes, but only if that person truly has the capacity and wants it.
- Outsource the execution of the seat to a specialized external partner or fractional expert, but keep one internal leader accountable for managing that relationship and its scorecards.
- Hire a dedicated resource specifically for this seat if the complexity and daily workload justify a full-time hire.

By treating the compliance seat as a structural necessity for your exit, you prevent it from becoming a dropped ball that damages your valuation.