We have a highly versatile employee who has been with us for years and essentially acts as a utility player, helping out in marketing, customer service, and operations. How do we define a single seat for them on our Accountability Chart when their daily tasks span multiple departments?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A utility player who helps out across multiple departments is a massive risk to your organization's scalability. While their willingness to help is admirable, having a general helper on your Accountability Chart destroys true accountability. When someone is responsible for everything, they are accountable for nothing, and their focus is constantly fractured.

To resolve this, you must look at your Accountability Chart and identify the single area of the business where this employee provides the highest value. Do they contribute most to marketing, customer service, or administrative operations? You must choose one seat for them.

If their time must still be split during a transition period, you can place their name in two separate seats on the chart. However, this must be a temporary solution. Each seat must have clearly defined roles, and the employee must GWC™ both seats individually. They must also have the physical capacity to do both jobs within a normal work week.

Your ultimate goal must be to transition this person into a single, dedicated seat. This allows them to focus, master their role, and drive measurable results. If other departments suffer when this person stops helping, it simply exposes structural gaps that you need to fill with new hires or automation.