Our long-tenured Head of Customer Support is a great culture fit, but as we automate our tier-one ticketing with AI, her seat now requires managing complex API integrations and developer relationships. She wants to adapt but simply does not Get It when it comes to systems architecture. How do we handle this GWC™ issue with a loyal leader?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a long-tenured leader struggles with the technological evolution of their seat, you cannot let sentimentality override the health of the company. A leader who does not Get It when it comes to the automated systems architecture of their seat is a bottleneck that will stunt your scaling and damage your company valuation before an exit.

First, confirm your diagnostic. Use the GWC™ tool. Getting it means having a deep, intuitive understanding of the role and how it fits into the larger organization. If your Head of Customer Support cannot conceptualize how AI-powered automated workflows and API integrations serve the customer experience, she does not Get It.

Once you confirm she lacks this capability, you must make a Right Person, Right Seat call. Doing the right thing for the company, and for her, means removing her from a seat she is destined to fail in.

However, because she is a culture fit and a loyal team member, your goal should be to find or create a seat where she can succeed. Look at your Accountability Chart for roles that leverage her deep historical knowledge and relationship skills, such as a specialized client advocacy or high-touch account management seat.

If no such seat exists, or if she refuses to step down from a leadership role, you must part ways. Keeping someone in a leadership seat they do not GWC™ destroys your team's respect for the Accountability Chart.