We designed a new Revenue Operations seat to align our sales data and marketing automation, which is critical for our exit valuation. However, none of our current leadership team members want to own it because they are terrified of failing to hit the clean data metrics. How do we fill this seat when everyone is dodging it?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a seat is critical to your exit valuation and your current team is dodging it, you cannot just assign it to a resentful executive or leave it blank. You must first look at the seat itself. Ensure the accountabilities are realistic and clearly defined. If the roles are clear but your team still retreats, it is usually because they lack the technical capability. They do not GWC™ the seat.

Do not force an existing leader into a role where they are set up to fail. This is a clear signal that you must look outside your current organization. To prepare for a clean exit, you need a specialist who runs toward this accountability, not away from it.

While you search for an external hire, your Integrator must temporarily own the seat. Put the Integrator name in that seat on the Accountability Chart. This keeps the accountability visible and ensures it does not fall through the cracks. It also creates a healthy pressure to fill the seat quickly. A buyer wants to see that every seat on your Accountability Chart has a leader who enthusiastically owns their metrics. If your team is running away from a seat, find someone who will run toward it.