They are evidence.
When the same question reaches the founder again and again, the team is showing where the business has no reliable answer.
Answering quickly feels useful. It also teaches everyone to ask again.
The tool: The Repeated-Question Log
For one week, keep a simple list of every question that reaches you.
Use five columns:
- The question
- Who asked
- What was happening
- How you answered
- How many times this has happened
At the end of the week, sort each question into one of four groups.
A. Missing information
The answer exists, but people cannot find it.
Build: one shared place, a clear label, and a rule for keeping it current.
B. Missing standard
People do not know what “good” looks like.
Build: an example, checklist, or quality rule.
C. Missing decision right
The person knows the options but does not know whether they are allowed to choose.
Build: a decision owner, a limit, and the conditions that require escalation.
D. Missing training
The person does not yet have the judgment or skill.
Build: practice, feedback, and a point when they can act alone.
Choose the question with the highest repeat count.
Do not write a long manual. Create the smallest useful answer:
- a three-step checklist;
- one approved example;
- a short decision rule;
- a two-minute screen recording;
- or a named owner.
Then tell the team where the answer now lives.
Watch what happens next week. If the same question returns, the structure may be hard to find, unclear, or missing a real owner. Improve the structure instead of blaming the person.
Repeated questions are expensive. They interrupt the founder, slow the team, and train the business to depend on memory.
They are also useful. Each one points to a place where irrigation can replace another bucket.
Do not measure the new tool by whether it looks complete. Measure it by behaviour. Did the next person find the answer? Did they act safely? Did the question stay away from the founder? A small tool that changes the work is more valuable than a perfect document nobody opens.
What to do with the result
Turn the most repeated question into one visible rule or tool this week. Measure success by whether the team can answer it without you.
Stop carrying buckets. Build irrigation.