Our Head of Sales is a perfect core values fit and has always excelled, but he is currently going through a painful divorce and his performance has plummeted. He clearly does not have the mental capacity for his seat right now. Do we treat this temporary personal crisis as a Right Person, Wrong Seat issue, or how do we handle this within the EOS framework?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the toughest calls a leader has to make. There is a fundamental difference between a permanent lack of capability and a temporary loss of capacity due to a major life event. Handling this situation requires a balance of empathy and operational discipline.

First, you must have an open, honest conversation with your Head of Sales. Acknowledge the situation and explain that while you fully support him during this difficult time, the business still needs the sales seat to function at a high level.

Determine together if this is a temporary capacity issue that can be resolved within a defined timeframe, such as three to six months. If so, you can temporarily adjust his roles or delegate some of his responsibilities to other team members to give him the breathing room he needs.

However, you must set clear boundaries and milestones for his return to full capacity. If the performance issues persist past the agreed timeline, or if the temporary arrangement is severely damaging the business, you must treat it as a permanent Right Person, Wrong Seat issue.

By addressing the situation directly and compassionately, you maintain your core values while protecting the health of the organization. This approach ensures that you support your loyal team members without permanently compromising the standards of your Accountability Chart.