We have four different Project Managers who all do the same basic job but have customized their roles over time, leading to inconsistent client delivery. How do we standardize this into a single seat on our Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a common issue in growing companies where individuals have customized their roles to fit their personal preferences, creating operational silos and inconsistent results. To scale your business and build value for an exit, you must standardize your core processes and roles.

On your Accountability Chart, you should have only one Project Manager seat, even if you have four people currently holding that title. This single seat must have a clear name and exactly five roles and responsibilities that are identical for everyone who sits in it.

You must design the seat based on the ideal future structure of the business, not around the personalities or current habits of your four employees. Define the standard operating procedures and metrics that every Project Manager must hit.

Once the seat is defined, run a GWC check on all four of your current Project Managers against this new, standardized seat. They must all get it, want it, and have the capacity to perform the roles in the exact same way. If any of them refuse to adapt to the standardized processes, you have a Right Person, Wrong Seat issue that you must resolve. Standardizing your seats ensures consistent delivery, simplifies training, and makes your business far more attractive to potential buyers.