Our two top-performing regional sales managers have both earned a promotion, and they want to share the VP of Sales seat as co-directors to avoid rivalry. If they both have GWC, can we put two names in this single seat, or does it break the Accountability Chart rules?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Putting two names in a single seat is a structural defect that will stall your growth. In the EOS system, only one person can own a seat. When two people share accountability, no one is actually accountable. When things go wrong, they will inevitably point fingers at each other, or your sales team will get conflicting direction and start playing them against each other. Sharing a seat to avoid hurt feelings or rivalry is putting people before structure. It is a management cop-out that creates organizational drag. If both managers are high performers and GWC the seat, you have a high-class problem, but you still have to make a choice. You have three practical options. First, split the seat structurally. For example, you can have a Director of Enterprise Sales and a Director of Channel Sales, provided each seat has distinct, measurable metrics and roles. Second, promote one to the VP seat and keep the other in their current role with a clear path for development or a different incentive structure. Third, if they cannot accept this, you may have a core values or alignment issue. Do not compromise your Accountability Chart to keep the peace. Define the seat, choose the single best person to run it, and hold them fully accountable.