Our Integrator is completely overwhelmed with the day-to-day operations of our divisions, and we are starting to feel the bottleneck. How do we know if we need to restructure the Accountability Chart or add a #2 to support them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When an Integrator becomes a bottleneck, it is usually because the structure of the Accountability Chart no longer matches the complexity of the business. Adding a personal assistant or a chief of staff is often a temporary band-aid that fails to solve the underlying structural issue.

First, analyze your current Accountability Chart to see if you have too many direct reports reporting to the Integrator. A healthy span of control is three to seven people. If your Integrator has more than seven direct reports, they are naturally going to drown in day-to-day management.

Second, look at the conative profile of your Integrator using the Kolbe A Index. If they are a high Quick Start, they might be generating too many ideas and initiatives, overloading their own plate. If they are a high Fact Finder and Follow Thru, they might be micro-managing details instead of delegating.

To permanently solve the bottleneck, you likely need to restructure. This means grouping similar business units under dedicated leadership seats, such as a Head of Operations for each division, rather than having every division head report directly to the Integrator. This elevates the Integrator to focus on cross-departmental alignment, strategic Rocks, and supporting the Visionary, while the day-to-day execution is pushed down to capable department leaders who GWC™ their respective seats.