Our team agreed that we need a dedicated Pricing and Margin Governance seat to stop rogue discounting, but nobody wants to own it because it causes constant friction between Sales and Operations. How do we seat someone in a high-conflict operational seat that everyone avoids?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a seat sits empty because nobody wants it, the issue is usually structural ambiguity rather than bad attitude. Unwanted seats often become political battlegrounds because their roles are defined as reactive refereeing rather than objective scorekeeping. If the person holding the Pricing and Margin Governance seat feels like they must constantly argue with sales reps or defend operational cost overruns, no sane leader will volunteer for it.

To fix this, define the five roles on the Accountability Chart around clear metrics and system boundaries. For example:
- Establish and maintain pricing formulas and gross margin floors
- Audit proposal profitability prior to contract submission
- Manage price exception workflows and escalations
- Report weekly margin variances to the leadership team
- Optimize cost inputs and vendor rate pass-throughs

When the roles are objective and measurable, the seat shifts from emotional policing to process enforcement. The person in that seat does not personally reject deals; the documented policy and gross margin criteria make the decision.

Next, look at the People Analyzer. This seat requires high attention to detail, analytical rigor, and low concern for popularity. It almost always belongs under Finance, not Sales or Operations. If no internal leader passes GWC (Gets It, Wants It, and has the Capacity to do it), do not force a reluctant team member into the seat. Run an outsourced or fractional placement until you can hire someone whose unique ability matches that accountability. Placing a reluctant owner in a high-conflict seat guarantees margin leaks and operational passive-aggression.