My leadership team is resisting our new Accountability Chart because they say we should build seats around the unique talents of our existing people rather than an abstract ideal structure. How do I get them to understand the structure before people rule?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Building your company around the unique talents of your current staff is a recipe for operational chaos and will severely damage your business valuation. Buyers do not want to purchase a business that is custom-built around the quirky habits and highly specific skillsets of a few key employees. They want to buy a scalable, predictable machine.

You must explain to your team that designing the structure first is the only way to ensure the organization can grow. When you build seats around people, you create overlapping responsibilities, massive gaps in accountability, and a structure that breaks the moment someone resigns.

To break their resistance, take them through a simple exercise. Have the team imagine that the business has tripled in size overnight. Ask them if the current customized structure could handle that volume without breaking. The answer is always no.

Explain that the Accountability Chart is designed to define the ideal future structure of the business first. Only after the seats, roles, and responsibilities are perfectly mapped out do we look at our people and see who fits.

If a current employee does not fit the ideal seat, we do not change the seat to fit them. Instead, we look for another seat where they are a right person right seat match, or we help them transition out. Stick to the rule of structure before people, or you will remain trapped in a business that is completely dependent on individuals rather than systems.