Situation: A CEO feels like he is on a roller coaster ride with unpredictable revenue and processes month to month. His ideal outcome will be to be able to go on vacation for 4-6 weeks, and have the business running better when he returns than when he left. Have you managed to achieve this? How do you create consistency in a business?

Advice from the CEOs:

• Make your managers live up to their titles.
  • Insist that they go to each other to solve problems first, instead of always asking you.
  • When they ask a question, answer how to solve it – but don’t give them the solution.
  • Require them to present solutions rather than problems.
  • Be willing to spend money on their solutions.
• Answer all questions with questions.
  • Ask them for their recommendation.
  • Keep asking until they come up with the answer.
• You should not be doing jobs or tasks that are really your employees’ responsibilities.
• When you start to delegate, it hurts for a while but it will work itself out.
• What has been the impact on other companies when they’ve made these changes?
  • Businesses have become more diversified.
  • CEOs are focused strategically vs. tactically.
  • Businesses are more successful and profitable.
  • CEOs enjoy coming to work again.
• How do you work with younger workers, millennials?
  • Allow flexibility – where appropriate – on hours and how they do their jobs.
  • Responsibility will vary by pay level – with the understanding that higher pay equals more responsibility and most likely longer hours.

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