We are merging our separate sales and marketing departments into a single unified growth department to improve our operating margins before we go to market. We have high-performing directors in both current seats who are perfect culture fits and whom we cannot afford to lose, but the new structure only has room for one Head of Growth. How do we restructure our Accountability Chart without laying off one of these key leaders?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You must design the ideal structure first, entirely independent of the people you have. Build the single Head of Growth seat and define its five major roles. Once the seat is designed, look at your two directors and assess them against the new seat using GWC. Only one person can own the Head of Growth seat. Co-leading is not an option in EOS.

Once you determine who is the right person for that top seat, you must look at the remaining seats within the newly designed growth department. A successful growth department requires strong sub-seats, such as a Head of Brand Strategy or a Head of Sales Pipeline. The leader who does not get the top seat should be offered one of these critical sub-seats, provided they GWC it and it aligns with their skills.

Have a direct, transparent conversation with both leaders before you finalize the chart. Frame the transition around the growth of the company and the need for specialized focus. If they are true core-values fits, they will understand that a more efficient structure benefits everyone. However, if the leader who is not chosen refuses to step into a reporting role under the new Head of Growth, you must help them transition out of the company. Do not compromise the integrity of your chart to avoid a hard conversation.