We are restructuring our sales and marketing seats into a unified revenue department on our Accountability Chart to improve efficiency for a buyer. How do we reassign our existing middle managers to lower-level seats within this new structure without making them feel demoted or causing them to quit?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Restructuring to build an exit-ready superstructure requires looking at the business objectively, unaffected by the people currently in the seats. Once you have designed the ideal Accountability Chart for the next stage of growth, you must address the people puzzle.

When you need to reassign managers to new, more focused seats, the key is transparent communication. Avoid treating the change as a demotion. Instead, frame it as a necessary alignment to help the company scale and to allow them to focus on what they do best. Many managers are actually relieved to step out of high-pressure leadership seats when they realize they can focus on execution, where their true strengths lie.

Sit down with each manager individually and use the GWC™ tool to walk through the new seat. Show them how their unique skills match the roles of the new seat. Explain how this alignment directly contributes to the vision in your V/TO®.

If they are the right people and fit your core values, they will appreciate the honesty and the opportunity to succeed in a seat they can actually master. If they resist the change because of ego or title inflation, you must stand firm. You cannot compromise the structural integrity of your Accountability Chart to protect someone's ego, especially when preparing the business for a clean exit.