We designed an Accountability Chart that looked perfect on paper, but we now realize we put several people in seats where they are wearing too many hats, causing key functions to be neglected. How do we restructure these seats without making our team feel like they are being demoted?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is common during the initial phases of an EOS® rollout to over-allocate responsibilities to your best people. You build a great Accountability Chart, but because of resource constraints, one person ends up occupying three different seats. This leads to burnout and dropped balls.

To fix this structural bottleneck, you must separate the seats from the people. Review the chart with your team and focus strictly on what the business needs to run optimally. Map out the seats and roles as if you were starting from scratch, without looking at the names of your current staff.

Once the ideal structure is established, have open, honest conversations with the affected team members. Frame the restructure not as a demotion, but as a deliberate strategy to allow them to focus on their unique ability. Explain that wearing too many hats is hurting the business and preventing them from succeeding in their primary role.

Use the GWC™ tool to evaluate where they fit best. By narrowing their focus to a single seat that they truly get, want, and have the capacity to do, you actually set them up for greater success. It relieves their stress and allows the business to scale cleanly.