By Ilona Stieners · 2 October 2026
When every decision comes back to you, hiring someone or adding a meeting may not solve the problem. First understand why people need you: missing information, unclear authority, capacity or a decision that genuinely belongs with the owner.
Keep a short record of recurring questions
For a few working days, note what people ask, why they come to you and what they need to move forward. The aim is to find a recurring pattern, not to monitor individual employees.
Separate four possible causes
Information
The person could decide, but lacks a price, customer detail or agreed process.
Authority
The person understands the issue but does not know what they may approve.
Capacity or experience
The person needs time, help or knowledge to take the work on.
A strategic choice
The question exposes disagreement about priorities, customers or the direction of the business.
Example: every quotation needs your approval
This is an illustrative situation, not a client case. Ask what you actually check before approving a quotation. Is it price, workload, a promise to a customer or a commercial exception? Each answer suggests a different agreement.
You might clarify the information needed, which decisions a colleague can make and when an exception comes back to you. Giving someone responsibility without access to information or decision-making authority leaves the old dependency in place.
Change one recurring situation first
Choose a frequent issue with the people involved. Agree who handles it, what they need and when you review the new arrangement. As the owner, also consider your own response: taking the task back each time makes the change harder.
Decide what kind of help is needed
Unclear priorities may call for strategic work. A known task with no available capacity may call for practical support. A narrow technical or legal issue may need a specialist. Start from the cause rather than choosing a programme first.