We recently acquired a small agency and want to integrate their five-person team under our existing Accountability Chart. However, their team members have very different roles and are resisting our structured reporting lines, leading to a drop in productivity. How do we resolve this integration friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When integrating an acquired company, the biggest mistake you can make is trying to force people into seats without first aligning on the right structure. You must design the future state Accountability Chart for the combined entity before you worry about where the new team members fit. Start by looking at your current structure and defining the seats needed to support the combined client base and workload.

Do not look at the titles or personalities of the acquired team. Once the optimal structure is designed, you must evaluate every individual from the acquired team using the GWC™ tool and your core values. This includes their founder. If their old roles do not map directly to your new seats, you must have honest conversations about where they can deliver the most value.

If they are used to a flat, unstructured environment, they will naturally resist the accountability of an EOS®-run business. You must be clear that following the Accountability Chart and our meeting pulse is non-negotiable. If some of the acquired team members do not fit your core values or lack the capacity for their new seats, you must address these right-person-wrong-seat issues immediately. Delaying these decisions to avoid friction will only prolong the operational drag and damage your team culture.