A roadmap that sits in Google Drive isn't strategy. It's a wish list.
“I think I need to hire someone.” I hear this often from capable business owners who are tired of watching things get dropped. The logic makes sense. If one person owned those things, they wouldn’t slip.
Sometimes that’s right. Other times the hire answers a question nobody has fully asked yet. As a Fractional Chief of Staff, my first response is always the same: tell me more.
What’s actually getting dropped?
Two questions come first. What’s getting dropped? And who was supposed to catch it? The answers usually point to one of four things.
4 things that can sit behind “I need to hire someone”
1. A real capacity gap
The work and the owner are clear, but there aren’t enough hands. This is where hiring is the right call.
2. Unclear ownership
Nobody knows whose job it is, so everyone assumes someone else has it.
3. A role without authority
Someone is in the seat, but the team doesn’t know what they’re responsible for or how much weight their word carries.
4. The right work with the wrong person
Some tasks stay with the CEO because they always have, not because they’re a strength. If numbers aren’t your thing, the finances probably shouldn’t be on your list.
What an unclear role looks like in practice
A team kept dropping the ball, so they hired a project manager to hold everyone accountable. It didn’t help. Nobody had told the team what his responsibilities were or what his word meant. Ownership had to be defined first, then explained to everyone, before the role could work.
What about giving existing employees more tasks?
When money is tight, this can look like the answer. It can work. But if the real issue was capacity or ownership, it often brings back the same dropped balls with a more stretched team. It depends on the situation.
What to write down before your next hire
What keeps happening.
Who owns it today.
Whether everyone involved would give the same answer.
If the third one is uncertain, start there.
Want to talk through which of the four sounds closest to your business? Send me a message or explore how a Fractional Chief of Staff works.
Savita Latchman is the founder of Latchman Consulting and a Fractional Chief of Staff with more than 15 years of experience supporting C-suite leaders.
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