Our company has doubled in size, and our Head of Operations is starting to drop critical balls. We need to split her seat into a Head of Supply Chain and a Head of Customer Delivery. How do we execute this split on our Accountability Chart without making her feel demoted?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a company scales, seats naturally outgrow the capacity of a single human being. If your Head of Operations is dropping balls, it is likely not a failure of talent, but rather a capacity issue because the seat has become too massive. To prepare for a clean exit, you must proactively split this seat on your Accountability Chart to maintain operational control.

To execute this split without causing your leader to feel demoted, focus entirely on the needs of the business, not personal performance. Sit down with her and review the Accountability Chart. Show her that the operations seat has become too large and explain that to hit your growth targets, the seat must be divided into two distinct functions, such as Head of Supply Chain and Head of Customer Delivery.

Use the GWC™ tool to guide the conversation. Ask her which of the two newly designed seats she gets, wants, and has the capacity to lead. Because she is a valued leader, she should have the first choice of which seat she wants to own. Explain that by narrowing her focus to one dedicated seat, she will be far more effective and less stressed. This approach preserves her dignity, leverages her deep experience, and builds a stronger, more scalable structure that buyers will value.