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 demands a clear separation of business decisions and family relationships. When an underperforming family member remains in a critical seat, it harms the company, frustrates the leadership team, and can ultimately damage the personal relationship.

You must address this issue objectively using the GWC tool. GWC stands for "Gets it, Wants it, and has the Capacity for it." Ask yourself:

• Does your brother-in-law truly get the Head of Account Management seat? Does he understand the requirements, responsibilities, and strategic importance?
• Does he genuinely want the role, especially given the increased demands of a scaling company?
• Does he have the capacity for it, meaning the necessary skills, time, and mental bandwidth at your current scale?

If the answer to any of these is no, you have a Right Person, Right Seat issue that requires resolution. For guidance on assessing internal candidates, consider [how to assess if an internal candidate is ready for an Integrator seat](/qa/promoting-internal-operations-manager-integrator).

Sit down with him for a direct, honest conversation. Frame the discussion around the needs of the business and the evolving requirements of the seat, not his personal worth or contribution. Explain that the company has scaled, and the Accountability Chart now demands a different set of capabilities for this specific role.

Explore whether there is another open seat on the [Accountability Chart](/qa/resolving-leadership-turf-wars-accountability-chart) where he is a perfect fit and truly GWCs the roles. This might involve restructuring a seat for a legacy leader hitting a ceiling to retain their expertise in a different capacity, as discussed in [restructuring a seat for a legacy leader](/qa/restructuring-seat-for-legacy-leader-hitting-ceiling).

If no such fit exists, or if he is not suitable 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.