You’ve trained your team. They handle the routine work just fine. But the second something weird happens—a bill with a missing address, a confusing email, a non-standard request—it lands right back on your desk.

In this episode, Scott answers a question from Kevin, a business owner stuck in the "two-minute fire drill" cycle. Scott explains why this isn't a competency problem; it's a visibility problem. The solution isn't to train harder; it's to stop teaching tasks and start teaching judgment. Learn how to build a "Decision Tree" for the 10% of tasks that break the rules, so your team can solve problems without you.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Happy Path" Trap: Most training only covers the 90% of scenarios where things go right. You need a specific plan for the "Edge Cases."
• Competency vs. Visibility: If your team performs well most of the time, they aren't incompetent—they are afraid. They lack the visibility into how you think.
• The 4-Step Decision Tree: Scott breaks down a simple framework to handle confusing bills or data:

1. Hunt for Clues: Scan for partial data (addresses, codes) to match against internal records.
2. Push Back: If the data is missing, email the vendor immediately asking for specifics (X, Y, Z).
3. The 48-Hour Rule: Wait. If no response, bump the request.
4. The Rejection: If the vendor fails to reply, reject the bill.

• The Psychology of Delegation: Your fear of fixing mistakes forever fuels their fear of making them. The only way out is a documented escape plan.

Memorable Quote:

"We can't teach people how to do things that aren't in the happy path. We have to teach them how we think."

Resources Mentioned:

• Submit Your Question: Stuck in the messy middle? Get your question answered on the show at scotttodd.net/ask