We have a highly critical Customer Success Director seat that is currently shared by two of our top performers because neither wants to take a demotion and they work great as a duo. Why is having two names in this single seat causing so much operational friction, and how do we resolve it without losing either of them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Having two names in a single seat is a recipe for operational chaos. When two people are accountable, nobody is accountable. It creates finger-pointing, slows down decision-making, and confuses the rest of the team about who to go to for direction.

To resolve this, you must apply the rule of one name per seat on your Accountability Chart. This does not mean you have to fire one of your top performers. It means you must divide the seat structurally so that each person has clear, separate accountability.

Look at the roles within that Customer Success Director seat. Can you split the seat geographically, by client size, or by product line? For example, you could create a Director of Enterprise Customer Success seat and a Director of Commercial Customer Success seat.

Each of these new seats must have its own distinct roles and metrics on your scorecard. Each person must fully GWC their specific seat. If you cannot split the seat logically, then one person must be placed in the seat as the leader, and the other must report to them, or you must help one transition to another high-value seat in the organization. Co-management is a liability that will actively discount your value during a buyer due diligence process.