Now that we are implementing EOS, it is painfully clear that our veteran Operations Director fails the GWC test for their seat on the Accountability Chart. How do we manage this high-stakes replacement while maintaining daily execution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Discovering that a long-term, loyal leader does not GWC their seat is a highly emotional and challenging moment during an EOS implementation. However, keeping someone in a seat they cannot master will destroy your team's confidence and stall your company's progress.

First, verify your diagnosis. Use the GWC tool objectively: do they truly Get the seat, Want the seat, and have the physical, mental, and emotional Capacity to do the work? If they fail any of these three elements, you must take action.

Before you initiate a termination, see if there is another seat on your Accountability Chart that they do GWC and that fits your Core Values. If no such seat exists, or if you cannot afford the overhead, you must transition them out of the organization with dignity and respect.

To manage the transition without disrupting daily operations, use cognitive and behavioral job targets to define exactly what the replacement needs to look like. Map the current leader's responsibilities on the Accountability Chart, and temporarily divide their urgent daily tasks among the remaining leadership team members. This temporary workload increase is painful, but it is far better than the permanent damage caused by leaving the wrong person in a critical leadership seat.