We have a high-performing operations manager who is critical to our upcoming exit, but they consistently fail our Core Values assessments. Can we afford to terminate them now, or should we wait until the deal is closed?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You cannot afford to keep them, especially if you are preparing for an exit. Keeping a cultural misfit because they are productive is a short-term band-aid that creates long-term rot. It destroys your credibility as a leader and signals to the rest of the company that your Core Values are just corporate theater.

Use the People Analyzer™ to evaluate this manager objectively. If they are consistently below the bar on your Core Values, they do not belong in your organization. A buyer looking for a clean, sustainable business wants to see a healthy, aligned culture, not a fragile operation held together by one toxic high-performer.

If this manager leaves post-transaction, your operations will likely collapse because they have built a silo of tribal knowledge around themselves. Use the EOS® 3-Step Process Documenter™ immediately to capture their workflow and transition their responsibilities to other seats on the Accountability Chart.

Replace them with someone who fits your culture and has the GWC™ for the seat. You will find that when you remove a toxic high-performer, the rest of your team steps up, productivity increases, and your business becomes far more attractive to buyers who value systemic stability over individual heroics.