Summary of the business problem

When the management calendar is filled with meetings, reconciliations and operational decisions, the organization’s most important future issues risk being left out of the agenda. High activity is not the same as effective management. On the contrary, an overloaded management function can become a bottleneck that delays decisions, divides priorities and limits the operational effectiveness of the organization. The problem therefore does not only lie in a lack of time, but in how responsibilities, mandates and decision-making processes are designed. As more and more issues require the management’s involvement, the dependence on its availability grows, while the space for strategy, analysis of the external environment and long-term development shrinks. Behind the development often lies unclear authority, many parallel initiatives and a management culture where presence in meetings is confused with control. The solution is not necessarily more meetings, additional reporting or a new leadership team. A thoughtful allocation of decisions and a conscious protection of the management’s limited capacity are required. This article shows how organizations can move from managing the symptoms of overload to changing its structural causes. In the short term, it involves mapping time usage, clarifying decision-making mandates, reviewing steering groups, and prioritizing projects and change initiatives. In the longer term, a cohesive management model is needed that integrates organizational design, portfolio management, follow-up, and strategic foresight. A Chief of Staff can contribute by coordinating efforts, improving decision-making foundations, and safeguarding management focus without creating additional decision dependencies. The article also describes the knowledge areas needed, how responsibility can be distributed, and when external specialist expertise may be justified. The goal is not only to free up time, but to strengthen the organization’s ability to prioritize, implement, and meet change. The starting point is a crucial question: is management’s time being used for the work that only management can perform?

Observed symptoms

• Management teams participate in a large number of steering groups and forums.
• Operational decisions are escalated to the management level.
• The number of reports, reconciliations and change initiatives is increasing.
• Strategic work is prioritized to the detriment of operational management.
• Decision times are extended because the organization becomes dependent on the management's availability.

Basic causes

1. Unclear mandates
   1. Decisions that should be made in the business are moved up the hierarchy.
2. Group-level inflation
   1. Almost every initiative has its own steering group with requirements for management participation.
3. Weak portfolio management
   1. For many parallel initiatives compete for the same management capacity.
4. Control culture
   1. The organization equates the presence of management with control and quality.
5. Lack of capacity protection
   1. There is no function that protects the management's focus and priorities.

Consequences

Short-term

• Slower decision-making.
• Higher workload.
• More management meetings.
• Fragmented focus.

Long-term

• Strategic blindness.
• Impaired ability to innovate.
• Worsening ability to manage AI, digitalization, skills supply, and regulatory changes.
• Increased risk that competitors will act faster.

Desired location

Management should focus on:

• Strategy
• Capital allocation
• Risk management
• Priorities
• Business development
• Surveillance of the external environment
• Organizational ability

Operational decisions should be made as close to the operations as possible.

Knowledge areas that are required or need to be utilized

Additional areas of knowledge

• Enterprise Architecture
• PMO/Transformation Office
• Risk Management
• Strategic Foresight
• Executive Effectiveness

Proposal for a solution in the short term

1. Conduct a ”Management Time Audit”. Map over 4-6 weeks:

• Number of steering groups
• Meeting hours
• Operational decisions
• Strategic decisions
• Reporting period
• Escalated cases

Goal:

• Measure the proportion of time used for work that can only be performed by management.

Key figures:

• % strategic time
• % operational time
• Number of steering groups per management member
• Number of decisions per level

2. Establish a decision matrix. Create clear levels:

Principle:

No decisions should be escalated upwards automatically without clear business value.

3. Rationalize the steering groups. Classify all control groups:

• Keep
• Combine
• Delegate
• Terminate

In many larger organizations, 20-40 % of the steering groups can be eliminated without any negative impact.

4. Create a portfolio forum. Ahead of a central forum that prioritizes:

• Project
• Program
• Initiatives for change
• Investments

Effect:

• Management gets fewer detailed questions.
• Prioritizations are made collectively.

5. Establish a Chief of Staff function. The function should be responsible for:

• Management planning
• Priorities
• Escalation management
• Portfolio coordination
• Decision support
• Follow-up

As the article describes, this serves as a strategic protective function rather than yet another management layer. [chiefofstaff.se]

Proposal for a long-term solution

Vision: Strategic management model. The management should, in the 2-3 year perspective, allocate its time approximately as follows:

Establishing an Executive Operating System. Components:

1. Clear mandates
2. Portfolio management
3. Decision forum
4. PMO/Transformation Office
5. Chief of Staff
6. Common priority principles
7. Digital follow-up and AI support

Create future-proof capabilities. Management should allocate:

• Quarterly strategy days
• External analyses
• AI and technology analyses
• Scenario work
• Competence provision planning

The aim is to counteract the strategic blindness that often arises.

Responsibility and Drive (RACI)

R = Responsible
A = Accountable
C = Consulted

Need for consultants

Consultants should only be employed where there is a need for specialist knowledge or independent analysis.

The consuls’ duties should include:

• Documented processes
• Transfer of skills
• Internal ownership transition
• Clear exit criteria

Summary and short action plan

The central business problem is not a lack of capacity but a management error where more and more issues are escalated to the management level. This reduces the organization’s strategic capabilities and risks long-term competitiveness.

The key question for management should be: What proportion of management time is spent on work that can only be carried out by management? If the answer is low, the focus should shift from more efficient meetings to a redesign of governance, mandates, and decision-making.

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Rolf Olsson Partner

Rolf Olsson is one of the founders of Chief of Staff Platform and specialist in business transformation, strategy implementation, and management support. Rolf has worked more than 40,000 hours as a consultant and writes about how the Chief of Staff role, modern governance, AI, and change management can help organizations increase their execution capabilities and create sustainable business results. Rolf has a degree in civil engineering, a master's degree in IT Management, and a PhD in Computer Science. Comments or remarks on this article can be emailed to: glossary@chiefofstaff.se

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