"The only way I can ensure things get done the right way is if I attend the meeting."
Have you ever used this line? Have you already used this line today? There is much more going on when you say and do this than what you might think.
Superiority Complex

The better option (just about every time) is for me to get my team involved in whatever it is that is going on. I have a group of smart people that work here in HR...and you have smart people that work with you too. Letting them do their jobs without constant interruptions from us has a couple of huge benefits. One of the most obvious is that we don't have to do all of the work! Why? Because we're not supposed to.
No Trust, No Team
The more important issue here though is trust. Ask yourself what message you send when your team members are constantly being interrupted in their work? Do you honestly think they feel good about your ( and my) interference? I'm guessing they would prefer to give it their best shot (which usually IS the best course of action) and then touch base with us afterwards.How About You
What message are you going to send this week? Is it going to be another day of you complaining that you're so busy, not because you're doing your own work, but because you're involved in everyone's work? How does any professional development or succession planning stand a chance?
Or, is this the week that your team has an opportunity to spread their wings and show what they can do? Who knows, you actually might find a little extra time in your own schedule.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
photo credit
Jay - great blog post. I deal with this everyday with many managers. I still believe this comes down to trust. You don't need to be involved at the micro level if you have hired good people, set proper goals/parameters and performance expectations...and coach them. Brute force leadership is the fast track to turnover in a professional environment. Of course, this is also the difference between management and leadership.
ReplyDeleteThanks Scott. I agree...we see this far too often in management ranks across our organizations (and HR too sometimes!).
DeleteBig jump between managing and leading!