We have two highly capable co-directors of business development who work exceptionally well together and want to share our Head of Sales seat. Can we place both of their names in this single seat on our Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

No, you absolutely cannot place both of their names in a single seat on your Accountability Chart. In the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) framework, a core principle is that only one person can own a seat.

Why One Person Per Seat?

When two people are assigned to the same seat, accountability instantly dies. Consider these points:

• Diffusion of Responsibility: If two individuals are responsible for a target or task, the natural inclination is for each to assume the other is handling it. This often leads to missed objectives.
• Blame Game: When something inevitably goes wrong, it's easy for each person to point fingers at the other, leading to confusion and conflict rather than resolution. This undermines [who is ultimately accountable for every single number and process](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids).
• Lack of Clarity: Clear, individual ownership is essential to eliminate confusion and ensure that every role has a single point of accountability.

How to Structure Shared Responsibilities

This doesn't mean you need to terminate one of your co-directors. Instead, you must split the seat into two distinct, clearly defined roles. You will need to analyze the specific functions and responsibilities currently encompassed within the "Head of Sales" role and divide them logically.

Here are a few examples of how you might split the roles:

• Geographic Split:
• One seat for Eastern Region Sales.
• Another seat for Western Region Sales.
• Functional Split:
• One seat focused on New Account Acquisition.
• Another seat focused on Key Account Retention (or existing client growth).

Each of these new seats must have its own unique set of five roles and responsibilities, and each must have only one name assigned to it. This approach also applies to other shared leadership scenarios, such as [sharing the Integrator seat as partners](/qa/sharing-integrator-seat-partners) or [resolving turf wars](/qa/resolving-leadership-turf-wars-accountability-chart) between directors.

Both of these new, distinct seats will then report to the Integrator or whoever is leading the revenue function within your organization. By establishing clear, individual ownership, you eliminate confusion, stop the finger-pointing, and allow both of your high-performing business development leaders to thrive in their respective domains. This clarity is crucial for [restructuring seats without causing panic](/qa/restructuring-without-layoff-panic) or losing valuable talent.

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