We have two junior equity partners who want to share a single Head of Client Management seat on our Accountability Chart so they can both maintain their long-standing client relationships and equal status. They claim that separating their roles will confuse our clients and damage their partnership. Can we put both of their names in this seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

No. Putting two names in a single seat violates the core EOS principle of having one name accountable per seat. When two people are accountable for the same seat, nobody is accountable. If clients experience an issue or metrics slip, the partners will inevitably point fingers, and your Integrator will have no clear line of sight to solve the problem.

You must break this seat down. While both partners can continue to manage client relationships, they cannot both own the management seat. You must look at the five major roles of the Head of Client Management. One partner must own the seat and be accountable for the department metrics, team management, and strategic direction. The other partner must report to them for those operational responsibilities.

Alternatively, you can split the department into two distinct, geographic or industry-specific sub-seats on the Accountability Chart, with each partner owning one seat. This maintains their status and clarifies their individual accountabilities. If they cannot agree on who reports to whom or how to divide the seats, it is a leadership issue that your Integrator must resolve using the IDS process. Compromising your structural integrity to manage partner egos always leads to operational friction down the road.