Delegating Work Down the Organization: Why Communication Isn’t Enough
CEO’s Question:
“Why do we still have communication gaps despite all our meetings?”
Why This Question Matters
Many CEOs are genuinely frustrated by this. Calendars are full. Meetings are frequent. Updates are constant. And yet people are still surprised, misaligned, or working at cross purposes
When this happens, the conclusion is almost always the same:
“We have a communication problem.”
Most of the time, that diagnosis is wrong.
What organizations usually have is not a communication problem, but a clarity of accountability problem.
What We Really Mean by “Communication”
Consider a familiar scenario.
Someone is chatting with a colleague at the water cooler. They are upset because they have been working on a project for two weeks, only to be told by their manager that the work was no longer needed, or worse, that it had been heading in the wrong direction.
The verdict is immediate.
“We have terrible communication around here.”
But what actually failed?
The issue was not that people were not talking. The issue was that it was never clear who was accountable for what, what success looked like, and what authority sat with whom. Communication did not fail. Accountability was never clearly established in the first place.
Why Meetings Don’t Fix the Problem
When accountability is unclear, meetings multiply.
People meet to clarify.
They meet to align.
They meet to correct misunderstandings that should never have happened.
Meetings become a substitute for clarity. Decisions drift. People fill gaps with assumptions. Managers unintentionally delegate work without the authority required to deliver results.
No amount of additional communication fixes this. In fact, it often makes things worse.
Delegation Is a CEO Discipline
Effective delegation is not a one time event. It is a system.
And that system starts with the CEO.
Delegating work down the organization requires the CEO and executive leadership team to be clear on three things. What work is being delegated. Who is accountable for delivering outcomes. What authority and resources are required for success.
If the CEO is not fully aware of what has been delegated, to whom, and under what conditions, communication gaps are inevitable.
This is why clarity of accountability, supported by a clear accountability and authority framework, is foundational to execution.
Communication Grounded in Accountability
Communication matters. It always has.
But effective communication is not about volume. It is about shared understanding. Managers and team members need to be on the same page about what they are accountable for delivering, how success will be measured, and what boundaries apply.
When that clarity exists, communication becomes simpler, more focused, and more effective.
When it does not, even the best intentions fall short.
A Consistent Managerial Conversation
One of the most effective ways to reinforce accountability is to use a consistent approach throughout the organization that enables and documents meaningful conversations between managers and subordinates.
This is where tools like a value added plan play an important role.
The value added plan is not about bureaucracy. It is not about filling out forms. Its real value is that it stimulates the right discussion.
The subordinate completes the plan first. They outline their objectives, how they believe they add value, and what resources they need to be successful. The manager then sits down with them to review it, set or reset context, clarify priorities, and confirm accountability and authority.
At the top of the organization, the CEO uses the same approach with the executive team. This ensures that enterprise level context is clearly set and consistently cascaded down the organization.
Why This Changes Execution
When this discipline is applied consistently, several things happen.
Rework declines.
Surprises decrease.
People stop working hard in the wrong direction.
What once felt like a communication problem is revealed for what it really was: a lack of clarity around accountability and delegation.
A Final Thought
If your organization is talking more than ever and still struggling to execute, don’t start by adding another meeting.
Start by looking at how work is being delegated down the organization and whether accountability is truly clear.
I explore this discipline in much greater depth in my book, The Effective CEO: The Balancing Act that Drives Sustainable Performance, where I lay out the accountability and authority systems required to translate strategy into consistent execution.
👉 The Effective CEO is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions:
https://www.amazon.ca/Effective-CEO-Balancing-Sustainable-Performance-ebook/dp/B0CVWCQCN1/
