Our leadership team is struggling to design our future Accountability Chart because personal friendships and current job titles keep getting in the way. How do we use Keith Cunningham's Thinking Time questions to detach the people from our structural seats?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Designing an Accountability Chart around your existing people is a costly mistake that will stall your growth. To break this habit, you must disconnect your current staff from the structural needs of the business. You can achieve this by using Keith Cunningham's Thinking Time framework to clear your mind and focus on objective structure. Schedule thirty minutes of uninterrupted time with a pen and a notepad. Ask yourself this question: If I had to build this business from scratch today to achieve our V/TO goals, what seats would be absolutely necessary to deliver value to our clients, regardless of who currently works here? Write down the required seats and their core roles without thinking about your team. Another valuable question is: What structural bottlenecks are currently costing us money because multiple people are sharing accountability for the same outcome? These questions force you to look at the business as a machine rather than a collection of personalities. Bring your findings to your next leadership team meeting. Agree as a team to look at the blank canvas of the Accountability Chart first. Only after you have locked in the ideal structure should you begin placing names into the seats using GWC. This disciplined approach ensures you build a scalable business that is attractive to buyers.