We have loyal, long-term managers who have been with us for years, but we are struggling to define the exact objective line where past loyalty must give way to future capability as we design our exit-ready Accountability Chart. How do we draw this line without subjective bias?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Loyalty is highly valuable, but as you prepare your company for a clean exit, capability must take precedence. To draw this line objectively, you must separate the person from the seat. This requires utilizing the EOS tools of the Accountability Chart and the People Analyzer.

First, design the ideal Accountability Chart for where the business needs to be in three years to maximize its valuation, completely ignoring the names of your current staff. Define the major roles and responsibilities for each seat on your leadership team.

Once the seats are defined, evaluate your long-term managers against the core values and the GWC tool. Do they get the seat, do they want the seat, and do they have the capacity to do the job at this new scale? Capacity includes the intellectual capability, emotional intelligence, and physical time required to execute the role.

If a loyal manager does not hit the bar for GWC in their new seat, you have your objective answer. Keeping them in a seat they cannot master is actually disloyal to them and to the rest of the company. Your job as a leader is to place them in a seat where they can succeed, or help them transition out of the business with dignity. This objectivity prevents emotional bias and protects your company culture.