We have two project managers sharing a single Head of Project Delivery seat because we did not want to hurt feelings, but now tasks are slipping. How do we split this seat structurally without creating a dual-reporting nightmare?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When two people share one seat, accountability dies. If two people are responsible, nobody is. This is a structural flaw that always leads to dropped balls and finger-pointing because there is no single throat to choke. To fix this, you must immediately split the seat based on the needs of the business, not the feelings of your team.

Start by looking at the functions of the business. You can split the seat by client type, project size, or geographic region. For example, you might create two distinct seats on your Accountability Chart: Head of Enterprise Projects and Head of SMB Projects. Each seat must have its own unique set of five roles.

Once the structure is clean, you must evaluate both individuals against the newly defined seats using GWC. Does each person truly get it, want it, and have the capacity to own their respective seat? If both fit their new seats, you have solved the problem. If one does not GWC the new seat, you have a Right Person Right Seat issue that you must resolve.

Never compromise the integrity of your Accountability Chart to avoid a difficult conversation. If you keep two names in one seat, you are choosing comfort over performance. Split the seat, assign clear metrics, and hold each person accountable to their own specific box on the chart.