Our VP of Operations has been with us since startup phase, but they simply do not have the capacity to manage our new global supply chain. They are fighting our efforts to hire a global supply chain director because they feel it is a demotion. How do we handle this right-person-right-seat issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a painful but necessary transition that many scaling companies face. Your VP of Operations was the right person for the startup phase, but the seat has grown larger than their current capacity. You must address this issue with love and respect, but you cannot compromise the needs of the business. The business must come first. Frame the conversation around the growth of the seat, not their personal failure. Show them the new Accountability Chart and explain how the roles of the global supply chain seat have changed. Explain that to reach our company goals, we need a specialist who has already built global supply chains at scale. Acknowledge their incredible value and loyalty. Let them know you want to find a seat where they can thrive and be successful, rather than leaving them in a seat where they are set up to fail. Work together to identify a new, highly valuable seat on the chart that fits their actual capacity and passion, such as directing local operations. If they refuse to accept the change and continue to fight the restructure, you must make the hard decision to transition them out of the company.