We need to build a training and documentation seat to formalize our tribal knowledge before an exit, but none of our senior managers want to take on this tedious administrative work. How do we fill this critical seat when everyone is dodging it?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Preparing your business for a clean exit requires capturing your tribal knowledge. This means someone must own standard operating procedures, system documentation, and staff onboarding. It is a highly administrative seat that senior leaders often avoid because it lacks the excitement of growth or strategy.

To resolve this, you must first define the seat objectively on your Accountability Chart. Do not try to force a busy executive to own it as an afterthought. If your existing leadership team lacks the capacity or desire to manage this work, you have two clear options.

First, evaluate if this seat can be filled by an internal coordinator who reports directly to your Integrator. This person does not need to sit on the leadership team, but they must have the organizational skills to audit and maintain your documentation.

Second, look at fractional resources or specialized technical writers. If you go this route, the fractional resource still sits in that seat on your chart, reporting to a specific leadership seat to ensure accountability.

The mistake is leaving the seat empty or dividing its roles among your leadership team. When everyone is responsible for documentation, nobody is. Put a single name in the seat, define the five major roles clearly, and make sure that person has the GWC™ to execute it.