We have a long-term director who is an incredible cultural fit but is totally overwhelmed by our new automated reporting systems and clearly no longer GWC's their seat. How do we handle this transition without looking cold or destroying team morale?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is the classic Right Person, Wrong Seat scenario, and it is one of the hardest challenges a leadership team will face. Because this director fits your core values perfectly, your team naturally wants to protect them. However, keeping them in a seat they do not GWC is unfair to them, harmful to the company's performance, and visible to everyone else on the team. You must handle this with absolute clarity and respect. Start by having a direct, objective conversation using the GWC tool. Be honest about the performance gaps and the technical demands of the restructured seat. Do not sugarcoat the reality. Since they are a Right Person, your goal should be to find another seat on the Accountability Chart where they can succeed and fully GWC the roles. This might mean moving them out of a leadership seat into an individual contributor role where their experience and cultural fit can shine without holding back operational progress. If there is no logical seat left on the chart that matches their skills and capacity, you must help them transition out of the business with grace. Keeping someone in a seat they cannot succeed in is not kind, it is weak leadership.