Our Head of Customer Service has been with us since the beginning and matches our core values perfectly. However, we have redesigned our Accountability Chart to focus on digital-first customer experience. She does not Get or Want this modern, technology-heavy seat. How do we make this hard GWC call?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the most painful decisions an owner has to make, but you must be objective. A person must be a Right Person and in the Right Seat. Your Head of Customer Service is clearly a Right Person because she shares your core values. However, she is no longer in the Right Seat.

To make this call, use the GWC™ tool with absolute honesty. Get means she truly understands the culture, systems, pacing, and challenges of the modern seat. Want means she has the genuine, self-motivated passion to do the job every day without being pushed. Capacity means she has the mental, physical, and emotional capabilities to execute the roles.

If she does not Get and Want the redesigned, tech-heavy seat, you cannot leave her in it. Keeping her there is unfair to her, frustrating for her team, and damaging to the business. You must have an honest, compassionate conversation. Explain that the seat has evolved beyond her current desire and understanding.

Since she is a Right Person, your goal should be to find or create a different seat on the Accountability Chart where she does GWC™ the roles. This might be a client relationship seat or a high-level account management seat that values her deep institutional knowledge. If no such seat exists, or if she refuses to step down from her leadership seat, you must transition her out of the company.