Scaling is Painful, but This Can Help

Summary

• In organizations, people often still bring issues to leaders like they did when the company was smaller. This can waste the leader's time because they have more responsibilities now.

• Instead of giving leaders a lot of options and asking them to choose, it's better to do more of the work beforehand. Provide a recommendation, like saying, "We have 10 options, and I think A is best, but B is a close second. What do you think?"

• I call this approach "6-in putt." It means bringing decisions to leaders that are nearly complete so they only have to make the final choice.

• It's important to offer leaders a clear recommendation since you have the context they might not have. This makes their decision-making process quicker and more efficient.

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How To Take Action

I would suggest implementing a strategy I like to call "6-in putt." This is when you bring nearly finished decisions to your leaders, so they only need to make the final choice.

A good way of doing this is by evaluating the options yourself and narrowing them down. For example, if you have 10 options, identify the top two or three based on your understanding. Present these to your leader with a recommendation like, "I believe Option A is the best, but Option B is a close second." This saves time and helps leaders make decisions quickly.

Start practicing this by taking a bit more initiative and responsibility. You have the context and understanding that your leader may not, so use that knowledge to support your recommendations. This doesn't require extra costs or a lot of time, just a little more effort in your preparation.

Also, encourage your team to do the same. Empower them to think critically and refine their decision-making skills before consulting leaders. It can improve the overall efficiency and decision-making speed in your organization or business.

Always remember, it's all about serving information in a way that's easy for leaders to digest and act upon. That way, you're contributing effectively to the organization and also growing your own problem-solving skills.