Middle manager – your biggest support
Many business owners in Łódź are afraid to hand the reins to their deputies. The truth is that without an efficient manager, your company will never get past the stage of constant fire-fighting.
Why are you afraid to delegate authority?
Most entrepreneurs we work with at Civil Strategy treat the manager as a higher-ranking executor of orders. This is a mistake that costs time and money. If you have to personally approve every purchase decision for 1200 PLN, you aren't managing the company; you are just a bottleneck. In Q1 2024, we observed 13 companies where the owner spent 69.2% of their time on operations instead of strategy.
The fear of losing control is natural, but it is precisely this that kills scalability. A manager who does not have real autonomy will never feel responsible for the result. Trust is built on facts, not on good intentions. You must establish a clear scope of responsibility within which the manager can move without calling you. We focus on clear rules that allow both sides to sleep soundly.
If you have to approve every decision, you aren't managing the company – you are its bottleneck.
How to set decision-making boundaries?
Start with a list of 15 operational tasks that you currently perform yourself. Divide them into three categories: those that require your presence, those that require your knowledge, and those that require only time. The latter are an ideal training ground for your manager. Last year, we helped 47 small companies implement a simple decision-making system that relieved owners by an average of 9.4 hours per week.
Give your manager a budget or authorization in a specific area. Let it be 2000 PLN for repairs or material purchases. If they exceed that amount – then you step in. Thanks to this mechanism, the manager learns to evaluate risk without decision paralysis. It's simple math: your hour of work is worth significantly more than an operational manager's hour of work.
Feedback that builds, not destroys
Once every two weeks, we sit down with clients and their leaders for a 30-minute review meeting. We speak directly about profits and mistakes. Managers are often afraid to admit to blunders because in their previous companies, every deviation from the norm was punished. At Civil Strategy, we show how to discuss results without looking for culprits. We focus on what we must change in the process so the mistake doesn't repeat next month.
If a manager is unable to achieve the set goal for 3 months in a row, either the process is bad or their competencies don't fit the position. We organize the power structure, so everyone knows exactly what they are responsible for. This eliminates tension and unhealthy competition within a small team. Remember that trust is built on facts, so every conversation must be based on data.
First steps in changing management style
Before throwing a manager into the deep end, conduct a 14-day test. For two weeks, don't make any operational decisions, even if you see a mistake. Let the manager try to solve the problem on their own. If the effect is far from ideal, you will improve it together during a review session. Such an approach will allow you to see where the gaps in your employee's knowledge lie.
We can help you prepare a set of operational instructions in 3-4 meetings. We don't create thick binders that no one reads, but practical checklists for tasks that repeat daily. If you are ready to organize your company's structure, reach out to us. We will help you transition from the role of firefighter to the role of a business owner who looks to the future.
