Our client onboarding director is an outstanding cultural fit and everyone loves her, but she lacks the technical capacity to manage our new integrated CRM platform, which is critical for our exit. We have no other open seats. How do we handle this right-person, wrong-seat issue when we are twelve months from a sale?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the hardest decisions an owner has to make, but when you are preparing for an exit, you cannot afford to carry a wrong-seat fit, even if they are a cultural champion. A buyer will audit your team and quickly spot any operational weaknesses, which can hurt your valuation.

Because you have no other open seats on your current Accountability Chart, you must not create a fake seat just to keep her on the payroll. This only leads to organizational bloat and confuses the team.

To resolve this situation before your exit, follow these steps:
- Be direct and compassionate, explaining that the demands of the onboarding seat have outgrown her current skill set.
- Provide her with a clear transition path, offering her a realistic opportunity to upskill over a short, defined period if you believe she can bridge the gap.
- If she cannot bridge the gap, help her transition out of the business by offering a generous severance package and helping her find a role elsewhere.

Protecting the integrity of your Accountability Chart is essential for a clean exit. Your team and your future buyers need to see that every seat is occupied by someone who GWCs it.