Same issue.
Same lack of progress.
Same excuses.
One leadership team had been living its own Groundhog Day for years.
We were in the Batcave, my NYC session room. The whole leadership team around the table, circling the drain on one issue: the VP of Sales and Marketing.
It was the market’s fault. It was the reps’ fault. It was never her.
My jaw clenched. My hands went clammy. Cold sweat, right under the neon sign on the wall that says Stay Curious.
I wanted to scream. My job is to help this team perform at its best, and one seat was in the way.
But in that room, I facilitate. I don’t take over. So I held it.
After the session, I called the Integrator, who runs the business day to day. I led with an Accusation Audit, naming his objections before he could:
“This is probably none of my business. This may feel like I’m telling you what to do. You might want to just shut me down.”
Then I said it. “All five of the issues holding this business back report to her. She has to go.”
Silence.
“I know. I’m dreading it.”
Ten years together. Everyone liked her. Replacing her felt risky.
The exit was hard, and it uncovered cobwebs everywhere: the pipeline, the forecast, lead follow-up, customer handoffs.
The last impression is the lasting impression. This one left us sick to our stomachs.
By the next Quarterly, our 90-day planning session, she was gone. A new Chief Revenue Officer was in the seat. No excuses. Arms around the issues, even with problems still on the table.
For the first time in years, the morning was different.
The only mistake was waiting. We were too nice for too long.
What’s a people move you waited too long to make?