My brother-in-law is currently our Head of Business Development, but we need to split our sales department into separate Account Management and New Business Acquisition seats to scale. He does not have the skills for either new seat, but I am terrified of the family fallout if I remove him from leadership. How do I put structure before people here?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Mixing family dynamics with business structure is one of the hardest challenges an owner can face, but failing to address it will destroy your team's trust and derail your exit strategy. You must run your business based on Our Charter, which demands a commitment to trust, being on the same page, and saying yes to structure and strategy.

Your first step is to design the correct Accountability Chart for your organization to scale, completely blind to the people currently in the seats. If the correct structure requires splitting Business Development into two distinct seats, draw it that way.

Next, evaluate your brother-in-law against the new seats using the GWC™ tool. Does he truly Get, Want, and have the Capacity to lead either Account Management or New Business? If the objective answer is no, you cannot put him in either seat.

Have a private, open, and honest conversation. Share the new Accountability Chart and explain that the business has outgrown its current structure. Show him where his true strengths lie.

Is there a specialist seat where he can thrive, such as managing a few key accounts, that does not involve leading the department? If so, offer him that seat.

If no matching seat exists, you must help him transition out of the company. Protecting his feelings at the expense of your leadership team's alignment violates your commitment to the greater good of the business. Treat him with love and respect, but do not compromise the structure.