We have two highly experienced account managers who both want to work part-time due to family obligations. Can we put both of their names into our single Account Manager seat on the Accountability Chart, or do we need to split this into two separate seats?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In the EOS framework, you can never have two people sharing a single seat because it destroys accountability. When two people are responsible for one seat, nobody is responsible. If a client account is neglected, each person can easily point to the other. To make this job-sharing arrangement work, you must create two distinct seats on your Accountability Chart, even if the roles look identical on paper. You have two practical ways to split this seat. The first option is to divide the accountability by client account list or territory. One seat is Account Manager Group A, and the other is Account Manager Group B. Each seat has its own name in the box, and each person has clear, individual accountability for their specific book of business. The second option is to divide the seat by operational function or shifts. If they split the week, you must define the exact handoff process as a core role for both seats, making sure there is no ambiguity about who owns the client communication during any given hour. Both individuals must independently pass the GWC check for their specific seat. By creating two distinct boxes on your chart, you preserve the single point of accountability, ensure clear reporting lines to their manager, and set both of your part-time employees up to succeed without causing operational confusion.