Our VP of Sales keeps assigning lead generation tasks directly to our marketing coordinators, completely bypassing our Marketing Director. This is causing friction on our Accountability Chart. How do we put an end to this cross-department boundary crossing?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This boundary crossing is a classic sign of structural dysfunction that will quickly erode trust and destroy your company culture. When your VP of Sales bypasses the Marketing Director, they are violating the fundamental rule of the Accountability Chart: respect the lines of reporting.

To solve this, you must address the issue at your next leadership team Level 10 Meeting™ using the IDS® process. Start by bringing the issue to the table without personal attacks. Focus on the structure. Explain that when the sales leader gives tasks directly to marketing coordinators, it disrupts the marketing department's priorities, invalidates the Marketing Director's authority, and makes it impossible to measure performance accurately.

The solution is to establish a hard communication boundary. The VP of Sales and the Marketing Director must agree on a Same Page process. If sales needs support, that request must go directly to the Marketing Director, who will then prioritize the work and assign it to their team based on their current Rocks and capacity.

If the VP of Sales refuses to follow this process, it becomes a core value issue. They are failing to show respect for the structure you have built. You must hold them accountable to your company's charter and V/TO®. A healthy leadership team requires everyone to respect the integrity of the Accountability Chart, ensuring that all communication flows through the correct seats.