We have assembled an M&A attorney, an investment banker, and a tax accountant for our exit. Do these external professionals get seats on our Accountability Chart, and how do we hold them accountable using EOS principles?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

External transaction advisors do not belong on your internal Accountability Chart. The chart is strictly for the internal roles and seats that run the day to day business. However, you still must hold these external advisors accountable, especially during a high stakes exit process. To manage this, we use the Advisor Meeting Pulse framework from the Step by Step Exit model. This is essentially an Advisor Level 10 Meeting™ where you bring your key external partners together, including your investment banker, M and A attorney, and tax accountant. While they do not have seats on your organizational chart, you should create a separate, temporary Advisor Accountability Chart specifically for the transaction. This chart maps out exactly who is accountable for deal marketing, tax structuring, legal review, and due diligence coordination. Once you have mapped this out, run a bi weekly or weekly Advisor Meeting Pulse. Use a shared scorecard to track key transaction metrics and review progress on transaction Rocks. This keeps all advisors aligned, prevents duplicate billing, and ensures they are working toward your specific exit objectives. By applying these EOS® principles to your external deal team, you maintain control of the exit process rather than letting the advisors drive up their billable hours without delivering results.