As the founder, I still own our key vendor relationships and sit in the Procurement seat. I know this key-person risk hurts our exit readiness, but my team says they are not ready to take it over. How do I transition this seat on the Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your team says they are not ready to take over your seat, it means you have not actually defined the seat or built a proper transition plan. You are holding onto the seat because it feels safe, and they are avoiding it because the knowledge is trapped in your head.

To break this dependency, you must first define the Procurement seat on your Accountability Chart with five clear roles. Do not treat it as a collection of random founder tasks. Write down exactly what the seat is accountable for, such as vendor negotiation, supply chain security, and cost control.

Next, use the GWC framework to identify who on your current team has the potential to step into this seat. If no one fits, you must make a strategic external hire. Once you have the right person, commit to a structured handoff period, typically ninety days.

During the first thirty days, they shadow you. During the next thirty days, you run the seat together. In the final thirty days, they run the seat and you shadow them. By the end of this period, your name comes off the box and theirs goes in. This transition must be reflected on your Accountability Chart to show potential buyers that the business can operate and scale without your daily involvement.