Our Head of Operations has been with us since day one and completely lives our Core Values, but the business has outgrown their capabilities and they no longer have GWC for the seat. How do we handle this Right Person, Wrong Seat situation with a deeply loyal team member?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the most painful decisions an owner faces, but avoiding it damages the company, frustrates the leadership team, and ultimately sets up a loyal person for public failure.

A person must have both: Right Person (they live your Core Values) and Right Seat (they have GWC: Get it, Want it, and the Capacity to do it). Your Head of Operations possesses the cultural alignment, but as the company scaled, the operational complexity surpassed their capacity.

Do not let loyalty blind you to operational reality. If you are preparing the business for an exit or scaling up, a bottleneck in Operations will strangle growth, depress margins, and erode enterprise value.

Handle this with total honesty and respect. Schedule a private conversation and lay out the requirements of the seat as the company exists today. Point directly to the Accountability Chart and discuss GWC objectively, without emotional accusations. Often, the individual is just as stressed and relieved when the issue is acknowledged.

Because they are a Right Person, your first step is to explore whether another seat exists on the chart where they genuinely have GWC. They might thrive leading customer onboarding, managing key accounts, or directing special facilities projects. If a legitimate seat exists, transition them cleanly. If no seat fits, you must transition them out of the company with generosity and gratitude.