One of our earliest employees is a perfect fit for our core values, but as we scale toward an exit, they simply do not GWC any of the actual seats available on our new Accountability Chart. How do we handle this Right Person, Wrong Seat scenario without being ruthless?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is one of the hardest decisions an owner has to make. You have a loyal, early-stage employee who lives your core values perfectly, but as the company has grown, they no longer GWC any of the available seats on your Accountability Chart.

They are a Right Person in a Wrong Seat, and leaving them there is holding the business back.

When you are preparing for an exit, you cannot afford to keep people in seats they cannot successfully execute.

To handle this situation with care and professionalism, you must first be completely honest. Sit down with the employee and explain that the requirements of their current seat have outgrown their capacity or skill set.

Next, look at your Accountability Chart to see if there is another seat where they would be a perfect fit. Perhaps they would thrive in a seat with less managerial responsibility but higher individual contribution.

If there is no open seat that they GWC, you must help them transition out of the company. Keeping them in a seat where they are failing is not kind; it breeds resentment and damages team morale.

Offer them a generous severance package and help them find a new role where they can succeed. Handling this transition with dignity preserves your culture while ensuring your business has the right talent in every seat to scale.