We need to restructure our operations to prepare for an exit, but we do not want to lay off our team members who are solid core values fits. How do we realign the Accountability Chart without causing mass panic or running people out of the company?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Restructuring your Accountability Chart does not have to result in pink slips. When you design your structure, you must focus entirely on the functions the business needs to scale and prepare for an exit, completely independent of the people you currently employ.

Once you have built the ideal structure, you then look at your people and determine where they fit based on core values and GWC, which stands for Get, Want, and have the Capacity to do the job. If a loyal employee is currently in a seat that is being phased out or split, your job is to look across the entire newly designed organization to find another seat where they match both your core values and GWC.

Often, a restructuring reveals vacant seats in other areas like customer success, account management, or specialized operations. If they fit your core values and have the capacity to learn a new role, you can transition them.

However, you must be honest. If there is no seat where they can deliver high level results, keeping them in a made up role just to avoid a layoff will hurt your EBITDA, stall your business, and ultimately drag down team morale. You do your people no favors by leaving them in seats where they are set up to fail. Protect the business first, and place your right people in their right seats.