Our Customer Success Manager is a shining example of our core values, but as we transition to automated ticketing, they completely lack the analytical capacity to manage the technical seat. How do we make this right-seat call without demoralizing the rest of the team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic Right Person, Wrong Seat dilemma that many owners struggle with, especially when preparing for an exit. To build an exit-ready company, you must be unsentimental about the seats on your Accountability Chart. You must validate that your structure supports having the right people in the right seats simultaneously.

If a loyal employee is a perfect cultural fit but does not GWC their seat because the technical demands have evolved, you must make a change. Keeping them in a seat they cannot perform is unfair to them and the company. It drags down team performance and signals to other employees that meeting expectations does not matter.

Look at your Accountability Chart to see if there is another seat where they are a perfect fit and actually GWC the roles. If no such seat exists, you must transition them out of the company with grace and respect. Buyers look for a high-performing team that can execute the business plan, and keeping the wrong people in key seats is a major risk that will discount your valuation.