We just hired our first full-time Integrator to take over daily operations, but our department heads keep bypassing her. They are coming straight to me, the Visionary, for final approval on their budgets and personnel decisions. How do we structurally stop this backsliding and force the team to respect our new Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This backsliding is normal when you introduce a new Integrator. Your team is conditioned to seek your approval because you have been the ultimate decision-maker for years. To break this habit, you must change your behavior first.

Every time a department head comes to you with an operational question or a request for approval, you must ask one simple question: Have you talked to the Integrator about this?

If the answer is no, you must politely refuse to make a decision and direct them to her. If you give them an answer, even once, you undermine your new Integrator and tell your team that the new Accountability Chart is just a piece of paper.

To reinforce this structurally, make sure your Accountability Chart clearly shows all department heads reporting directly to the Integrator, not to you. The only seat reporting to you is the Integrator.

You also need to establish a transition period. Meet with your Integrator weekly to review the decisions that came to you. This ensures you are both on the same page.

By consistently redirecting your team to the Integrator, you teach them to respect the new structure. Over time, the team will stop bypassing her, and you will finally have the freedom to operate fully in your Visionary seat.