My brother-in-law is in our Head of Account Management seat, but he clearly does not GWC the role as we scale. How do I execute a Right Person Right Seat call when family dynamics make a termination highly sensitive?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Running a family business requires a strict separation of business decisions and family relationships. When you allow an underperforming family member to remain in a critical seat, you hurt the company, frustrate your leadership team, and ultimately damage your relationship with that family member.

You must address this issue objectively using the GWC tool. Does your brother-in-law truly get, want, and have the capacity for the Head of Account Management seat at your current scale? If the answer is no to any of these, you have a Right Person Right Seat issue that must be resolved.

Sit down with him for a direct, honest conversation. Frame the discussion around the needs of the business and the requirements of the seat, not his personal worth. Explain that the company has scaled, and the seat now requires a different set of capabilities.

Explore whether there is another open seat on the Accountability Chart where he is a perfect fit and truly GWCs the roles. If no such seat exists, or if he is not a fit for other open roles, you must help him transition out of the company.

Handle the transition with dignity and generosity. Provide a fair severance package and career transition support. While this conversation is difficult, keeping him in a seat he cannot perform is unfair to him and dangerous for the business. Clear boundaries are the only way to protect both your business and your family relationships.