Our longest-tenured operations manager is threatening to quit unless we create a custom VP of Special Projects seat tailored to his unique skills, but that seat does not make sense for our business model. How do we hold the line on structure before people when a key employee is holding us hostage?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic structure-before-people challenge. When you bend your organization to accommodate an individual, you create a cracked foundation that will eventually collapse. Your Accountability Chart must be designed solely to achieve the vision outlined in your V/TO®. It must represent the absolute best structure for the company's next phase of growth, regardless of who is currently on the team. To resolve this, you must run an IDS® session with your leadership team. Address the issue with a grow or die mindset. Explain to the executive that the company must prioritize its long-term health over personal titles. If the custom seat they want does not help the company achieve its Core Focus, it cannot exist on the chart. Sit down with them and evaluate their current seat using GWC™. Do they truly get, want, and have the capacity to do their current job? If they do, but they are simply unhappy without a flashy new title, you must have a direct, loving, and honest conversation. If they choose to leave because you refuse to compromise your structure, you must let them go. Keeping someone who holds the structure hostage violates the pillar of trust and sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of your organization.