Our business has outgrown its original Accountability Chart, but we are afraid that restructuring seats will make legacy employees feel demoted or disengaged. How do we redesign the Accountability Chart to support our new three-year growth targets while managing the team's emotional reactions to structural change?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

One of the hardest parts of scaling a business is accepting that the team that got you here might not be the team that gets you to the next level. When you redesign your Accountability Chart to hit your three-year targets, you must separate the seats from the people. Do not build seats around your existing staff's skills or feelings; build the seats the business needs to scale.

To manage the emotional transition, start by communicating the changes clearly and transparently. Explain that the structure must evolve to support the company's growth, and make it about the future of the organization, not individual performance.

Next, use the GWC™ filter to assess every employee for their new or modified seats. If a legacy employee no longer gets, wants, or has the capacity to do their current job at a larger scale, work to find a seat where they do GWC™ the role. Often, legacy employees are actually relieved to step out of a seat that has outgrown their capabilities, provided they are placed in a role where they can truly shine. Engaging an EOS Implementer® during this process is highly recommended. An external facilitator provides a neutral perspective, helping your team make objective structural decisions without letting personal relationships or history cloud your judgment.