We are shutting down our outbound cold-calling department to focus entirely on inbound digital marketing. How do we restructure our Accountability Chart and handle the transition for the people currently sitting in those eliminated seats?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When you make a strategic pivot that eliminates a department, your Accountability Chart must immediately reflect this shift. Operating with an outdated chart creates confusion, wastes resources, and slows down your transition.

Start by removing the outbound cold-calling seats from your Accountability Chart entirely. Redesign the marketing and sales sections of your chart to focus 100 percent on your new inbound digital marketing strategy. Define the new seats and roles required to make this strategy successful, such as content creation, digital ads management, and lead nurturing.

Once the new, ideal structure is defined, you must address the people who sat in the old outbound seats. Evaluate each person using the People Analyzer™. Are they a core values fit? If they are a Right Person, look at your new inbound seats and check if they GWC™ any of them.

Keep in mind that outbound cold-calling and inbound digital marketing require completely different skill sets. A great outbound caller may not GWC™ a digital marketing seat. Do not force them into a new seat just because they are loyal. If they fail the GWC™ check for the new seats, you cannot transition them there.

If they do not GWC™ any of the new or existing seats, you must transition them out of the company with dignity and respect. If they do GWC™ a new seat, transition them systematically, setting clear expectations and Rocks to ensure they succeed in their new role. Keeping your structure clean is the only way to make your strategic pivot work.