We have a critical seat for documenting our standard operating procedures that absolutely nobody on the leadership team wants to own. How do we place this seat on our Accountability Chart without forcing it onto someone who will ignore it?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Every business has critical seats that are tedious and unappealing. When nobody on the leadership team wants to own a seat, the temptation is to force it onto someone or split it among multiple people. Both approaches are mistakes that lead to dropped balls.

To solve this, look at the conative wiring of your team. Documenting processes requires high Follow Thru, which means a natural drive for structure, order, and systems. If your current leadership team consists of high Quick Starts who thrive on change and chaos, forcing this seat on them is a recipe for failure.

First, define the seat clearly on your Accountability Chart. List the five key roles, such as maintaining the process library and training team members.

Second, ask yourself a Thinking Time question: How might we resource this seat so that our core processes are documented without burning out our existing leaders?

The answer is often to find a fractional resource or a junior team member who has the right conative strengths. Use the Kolbe Index to screen internal and external candidates. Look for someone with high Follow Thru who actually enjoys creating order out of chaos.

By placing this seat under your Integrator and hiring the right person who GWC's it, you protect your leadership team's time and ensure your operations are fully documented, which is crucial for a clean exit.