BUSINESS LAB · EVIDENCE BEFORE TACTICS

Should you hire a general manager or fix the operating system first?

A general manager may add leadership capacity, but the role cannot reliably compensate for unclear decisions, an unviable model or responsibilities that the founder will not delegate. Define the actual management gap, decision rights, evidence and affordable scope before deciding whether to hire, redesign work or develop existing capability.

By Sarah Mck, founder and owner of Business Lab.

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Competing explanations to investigate

The founder holds routine approvals that could be delegated with clear limits.
Responsibilities overlap and no one owns the result across the handover.
The business needs a specific operating skill rather than a broad senior title.
The role is expected to fix missing strategy, resources and authority without an agreed mandate.

What evidence do you need?

Track where decisions and work wait for the founder over a representative period. Separate strategic choices, exceptions, routine approvals and problems caused by missing information. Map accountable owners, authority and review measures. Define the role’s expected contribution and the financial commitment without assuming that the hire immediately creates revenue.

A limited first test

Choose one recurring decision or handover. Define the outcome, owner, authority limits, information and escalation condition, then observe whether the work proceeds reliably without the founder. This is a process test, not evidence that any particular candidate is suitable. Use it to clarify the management capacity still missing.

How to decide what happens next

If a sustained leadership gap remains after the mandate is clear, a management hire may be appropriate. If decisions still return because authority or priorities are unclear, address that mechanism as well. Do not transfer responsibility without the information and authority needed to act, or retain every approval while expecting independent leadership.

Frequently asked questions

Will a COO make the business run without me?

Only if the role, authority, resources and operating model support that outcome. The title alone does not establish independence.

Should I document every process before hiring?

Prioritise the recurring decisions and handovers that constrain work. Excessive documentation can become another bottleneck.

How do I know if the problem is a missing manager?

Look for a defined, recurring leadership workload that remains unowned after responsibilities and decision rights are clarified.

Start with the right question.

The introductory call clarifies your challenge and checks fit. It is not a full diagnosis. Outcomes depend on your business and implementation.