Our long-time internal accountant is a flawless core values fit, but she simply does not have the capacity to handle our increasingly complex tax planning, multi-state compliance, and fractional CFO coordination. How do we handle this classic Right Person, Wrong Seat dilemma without destroying our team culture?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the hardest calls a business owner has to make. Your long-time accountant shares your core values and is a beloved member of the team, making her a Right Person. However, because she lacks the capacity to handle your scaling financial needs, she is in the Wrong Seat.

To address this, you must run a formal GWC™ check. Ask yourself three questions about her and the seat:
- Does she Get it? Does she understand the deep, strategic nature of a modern financial seat?
- Does she Want it? Does she actually want the stress and accountability of managing complex tax compliance and fractional partners?
- Does she have the Capacity? Does she have the mental, emotional, and physical time, skills, and experience to do the job?

If the answer to any of these is no, she cannot remain in that seat. Keeping her there is unfair to her, as she is likely stressed and failing, and it is holding the company back.

Because she is a Right Person, your goal should be to find a seat on the Accountability Chart where she can successfully GWC™ the roles. This might mean keeping her in a focused bookkeeping or accounts receivable seat while you hire a dedicated controller or utilize a fractional CFO to own the high-level financial seat. If no such seat exists, you must transition her out of the company with dignity and respect, preserving your culture while protecting your business.