Bottlenecks in the family business

After winning the battle with Amalek, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, comes to visit. He observes Moses governing the Israelites, and notices that everything has to come through him — decisions, instructions, and the resolution of disputes. Jethro sees this as a problem, and offers some guidance to Moses:

“Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” (Exodus 18:21-23)

Moses, in his role as the sole judge for thousands of people, is setting himself up for failure. Jethro says, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.”1 Moses will be the bottleneck. There will be problems.

Jethro also offers advice about the kind of men Moses should look for (trustworthy and God-fearing), and the types of decisions he should delegate. Those are more difficult questions: Who do you trust? And how much authority do you give them? Moses hears Jethro and institutes an early example of a modern management structure.

Family businesses trying to become more professional will understand the challenge. If you don’t delegate or trust other people to handle problems and opportunities, everything grinds to a halt with the leader. As you grow and face more decisions, team members have to wait. People become frustrated. The leader burns out. It’s a version of the Theory of Constraints, popularized in the book The Goal.

Have you seen or experienced a bottleneck, where decisions pile up and others become frustrated? How does Jethro’s advice to Moses encourage you in dealing with such challenges in your family company?