You are going uphill with the parking brake on. You can feel it. Revenue is not where it should be. Initiatives are not getting implemented. Your best people are frustrated. And somewhere inside your org chart is the person responsible — the one who looks qualified on paper and delivers almost nothing in practice.
Scott Sylvan Bell works with owners of $10M to $250M companies through the Exit Ratio 360™ system. The logjam problem shows up in the DRIVER Test under Rhythm and Integration — and in the BENCH Framework under Bench Depth and Employment Security. When buyers evaluate a business and find this pattern, they discount the multiple.
The Org Chart Exercise That Finds the Logjam
The org chart exercise finds the logjam by running every key position through three questions — do they have the skills, the talent, and the ability to deliver. The position that answers yeah but instead of yes is the person costing you the most.
Take your org chart and go through every key position. For each one ask the same three questions. Do they have the skills? Do they have the talent? Can they deliver? Most positions answer yes. One answers yeah, but. That is your logjam. Confirm it with the next three questions — do they fight with everybody, do they withhold information, and when they walk into a meeting do you already know things are not going to go well.
What is a business logjam and how do you identify it?
A business logjam is a blockage in organizational momentum caused by a specific person whose control issues prevent initiatives from moving forward, information from flowing, and strong talent from being hired. You identify it through the org chart exercise — going through each key position and asking whether they have the skills, talent, and ability to deliver. The position that answers yeah but instead of yes is the logjam.
How the Control Issue Creates the Logjam
The logjam person’s control issue runs at fifty out of ten — everything gets filtered through their need to control information, access, and decisions, which means problems stop getting raised because people already know they will not get fixed.
How does a control issue create an organizational logjam?
A control issue creates a logjam by converting a legitimate protective instinct into an excessive filter that blocks information, decisions, and talent at the point of that person’s authority. The number three withholds information as a power move, fights with colleagues as a smokescreen to avoid accountability, avoids hiring strong talent that could threaten their position, and black-boxes institutional knowledge to make themselves seem indispensable.
The 80-20 Rule on Salvage Attempts
80% of the time the number three does not come around through salvage — the control issue is structural not situational, and three to six months of feedback and role adjustment produces the same conclusion that could have been reached earlier.
What is the 80-20 rule for salvaging a difficult employee?
80% of the time a control-driven logjam employee does not come around through salvage attempts. The control issue is structural, not situational — it does not resolve through additional feedback, role adjustment, or patience. Companies typically spend three to six months on salvage before reaching the same conclusion they could have reached earlier.
What financial cost does a logjam person represent to a business?
The financial cost of a logjam person includes lost initiatives that were never implemented, talent that was never hired, contracts and relationships that deteriorated because problems were not addressed, and the compounding effect on business value from months or years of suppressed momentum. When the person leaves, a floodgate opens of previously withheld information that makes the accumulated cost visible.
What the Business Looks Like on the Other Side
After the number three is gone two things happen simultaneously — the frustrated team starts re-engaging because the brake was removed, and a floodgate opens of information that was being withheld. Within three weeks the team will tell you how much easier it is to work there.
Why does the team around you improve so quickly after the logjam person leaves?
The team improves quickly because the barriers suppressing their performance disappear simultaneously. Problems that were never raised start getting raised because people believe they will now get fixed. Work that was being slowed gets done. Strong talent that was being blocked from being hired gets hired. The effect feels sudden because it is — the drag was constant and invisible until it stopped.
How does the number three problem affect a business sale?
The number three problem suppresses business sale value by creating exactly the conditions buyers discount most heavily — a leadership team that cannot execute without the founder, undocumented processes, and inconsistent implementation of systems. The DRIVER Test in the Exit Ratio 360 system scores Rhythm and Integration specifically because buyers evaluate whether the organization has a functional execution cadence. A logjam person destroys both.
Why does the org chart exercise reveal the logjam person?
The org chart exercise reveals the logjam because it forces the business owner to evaluate each key position against the same three objective criteria — skills, talent, and delivery capability. Most positions pass without hesitation. The logjam position produces a qualified answer — yeah but. That qualified answer, confirmed by the follow-up questions about fighting, information withholding, and meeting behavior, identifies the source of the blockage.
How does information withholding show up as a control mechanism?
Information withholding appears as not sharing performance data that would reveal problems in their area, not passing on communications from clients or vendors that require decisions, not documenting processes so institutional knowledge stays exclusively in their possession, and not surfacing opportunities because pursuing them would require sharing authority. The withheld information typically surfaces as a floodgate of missed items after the person leaves.
What role do employment agreements and legal consultation play when removing a logjam person?
Employment agreements, severance structures, and HR protocols all govern how a departure is executed. Consulting HR and an employment attorney before taking action protects the business from legal exposure and ensures the separation is handled in a way that minimizes disruption. The legal consultation is not a reason to delay the decision — it is the right sequence for executing it cleanly.
If your business is doing $2M or more in revenue and you are preparing for growth or exit — call or text 808-364-9906 or visit the half-day consulting page.