Founder Dependency Audit — Michelle Sadden Consulting

22 statements, one simple format. Read each one and select the dot that best reflects where your business stands today — no trick questions, no right answers.

This takes about 12 minutes, requires no email, and gives you an instant score along with your top three dependency risks.

Decisions that still require you

Where sign-off, judgment, or approval still has to pass through you personally.

1Most decisions above a small dollar threshold still need my sign-off.

2I'm regularly pulled into decisions my team should be able to make on their own.

3If a big client had an urgent issue, they'd expect to talk to me personally, not anyone else.

4Pricing, quoting, or proposal decisions typically can't move forward without me.

The missing buffer layer

Whether there's someone senior enough between you and your team to absorb escalations.

5When my junior staff hit a problem they can't solve, they come straight to me — there's no one senior between us to catch it.

6I don't have anyone at a Director or COO level who can speak for the business the way I would.

7My team is capable of doing their jobs, but not of making the judgment calls above their pay grade — so those still land on me.

8If I brought in an experienced operator to sit between me and my team, I'm not sure what I'd hand them versus keep for myself.

What happens when something goes wrong

Whether your business can absorb a real crisis without you in the room.

9If a client had an urgent complaint or escalation while I was unreachable, I trust someone else could handle it the way I would.

10If an employee got hurt on the job, my team would know exactly what to do without waiting for me to weigh in.

11If equipment failed or a shipment or project hit a serious snag, someone else has the authority to make the call on the spot.

12New client or project intake wouldn't stall waiting on me.

13My team would know exactly who to escalate to for each type of problem — without asking me first.

Succession & second-in-command readiness

How ready the business is to run without you stepping back in.

14I have someone who could step into my role for a month, if needed.

15I've written down or shared what I actually do day-to-day, beyond my job title.

16My team has real decision-making authority, not just tasks assigned to them.

17I trust my team to represent the business the way I would, without my direct involvement.

People management & employee engagement

Whether you have the time and systems to actually manage your people, not just their output.

18I know all new employees are getting the same hiring and onboarding experience.

19I have time to communicate regularly with employees and keep them informed of changes, decisions, or updates.

20My employees feel they have a way to provide feedback, and I have time to action that feedback.

21I have a real read on team morale — I know how employees are feeling.

22I know that performance issues are being handled before they become serious.

Answer all 22 statements to see your results.

Your founder dependency score

What this means

Fractional or full-time?

Option one

Fractional support

A part-time COO or Director who steps in on a set cadence — enough to absorb judgment calls and build the buffer layer, without the cost or commitment of a full-time seat.

You need senior judgment applied consistently, not daily
The business can't yet justify a full-time salary at that level
You want to test what can be delegated before committing further

Option two

Full-time hire

A dedicated COO or Director on the ground every day — the right call once the volume of decisions and escalations is too constant for a part-time presence to absorb.

Escalations and decisions are a daily, not occasional, occurrence
The team is large enough to need consistent day-to-day leadership
You're ready to permanently step back from the operational seat

Your top 3 dependency risks

Breakdown by area

Talk to Michelle