Our Head of Operations and our Head of Technology are constantly arguing over who owns our new AI-driven customer onboarding system. The ambiguity is causing delayed timelines and frustrated employees. How do we resolve this specific seat overlap without demotivating either leader?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When two leaders fight over who owns a new system, you have an Accountability Chart issue. Ambiguity is the enemy of execution, and having two heads on one seat always leads to conflict.

To resolve this, you must clarify the roles. The Accountability Chart must have only one name in each seat, and every major system must have a single owner.

Sit down with both leaders and run them through their Kolbe A™ profiles. If your Head of Technology is a high Fact Finder and high Follow Thru, they are built to design and build the backend database. If your Head of Operations is a high Quick Start, they are built to deploy the system and manage user adoption.

Use IDS® to dissect the onboarding system. Break it down into clear components and assign ownership of those components to the respective seats on the chart. One person must have ultimate accountability for the success of the system, while the other provides supporting expertise.

Once the roles are clear, document the new workflow in your processes. This eliminates the turf war and allows both leaders to focus their conative strengths on execution rather than defense.