What Not to Delegate

Delegation comes up a lot in my work with serial founders and family business owners. It's an indicator of working on becoming that strategic, visionary CEO that their business needs. It's tough to do, especially when the task is one that they wake up to go to work to do. It has to have a relationship-building focus to work well.

So does discipline.

It's one thing you never, ever delegate.

Discipline is a cultural issue. As CEO, you are responsible to protect your culture. Does that mean letting go your best producer because they continuously disparage their colleagues even after correction discussions? Yes. Does that mean saying something the first time when something borderline unethical occurs? Yes. Of course, I'm assuming here that coworker disparagement doesn't align with your organization's values. Of course, I'm assuming here that you want to operate ethically.

But it's not something you delegate. Ever.

I guarantee that if you do it will be the beginning of cultural rot and people leaving. But let's be straightforward here: if this is our approach, we've lost our culture already.

ryan

Ryan Kauth

Ryan Kauth is a business coach who primarily works with serial founders and family business owners with adult children working in the business. He occasionally has to gently correct his dog, but he doesn't make anyone else do it. He's never had to discipline his guinea pig. His calendar is here to book an appointment.