Our leadership team is locked in an argument over where our Account Management seat should sit on the Accountability Chart. Our VP of Sales wants it under Sales to drive upsells, while our VP of Operations wants it under Operations to ensure quality delivery. How do we resolve this structural conflict?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To resolve this conflict, your leadership team must step back and focus on the fundamental purpose of each seat, keeping the overall structure of the business in mind. Do not let politics or individual desires dictate your Accountability Chart.

Start by defining the core roles of your Account Management seat. Is the primary responsibility of this seat to drive new revenue through upsells and cross-sells, or is it to ensure client retention, onboarding, and day-to-day service delivery?

If eighty percent of the seat's success is measured by revenue growth and sales pipeline activities, it belongs under Sales. If eighty percent of its success is measured by service delivery, client satisfaction, and issue resolution, it belongs under Operations.

Once you agree on the primary function, place the seat accordingly. Remember that whoever owns the seat must be fully accountable for its outcomes. If the seat sits under Sales, the VP of Sales must own the client satisfaction metrics associated with it. If it sits under Operations, the VP of Operations must own the retention metrics.

Document this decision clearly on your chart and use your Level 10 Meetings™ to IDS® any minor cross-departmental friction that arises. Keeping reporting lines clean is essential to building an efficient, scalable company that appeals to prospective buyers.