As a leader, the ability to delegate is crucial. It is possible to delegate effectively if your team develops the necessary abilities and engages in the strategic communication required to make your strategy execution possible. This typically results in increased organizational effectiveness, innovation, and long-term competitiveness. Without micromanaging, we must be able to provide our employees with all the resources they need to succeed in their roles. If we spend too much time micromanaging, we will be unable to lead our team, which is our primary responsibility.
In this Blog, we discuss how can we, as leaders, effectively delegate tasks to our team members while maintaining high morale. We'll also look at why so many leaders choose to micromanage and how this can harm your organization.
ANTHONY'S PERSPECTIVE
Hi, it's Anthony C Taylor. here. I'm the CEO of SME Strategy. In this section of Leader's Digest, I'll give you my perspective on the topic at hand. I encourage you to watch my included video, which will go into more detail.
Delegating is easier said than done, and even as effective leaders, we can sometimes face internal battles about whether or not to micromanage a project or employee.
So, what's the difference between delegating and micromanaging?
When you delegate, you make sure that the people on your team are supported and that everything is moving forward.
When you micromanage, you invest a lot of time in getting into the details and making sure every little bit of work is done. It means you can't really be a great leader because you're spending your time making sure people do their work instead of doing what you do best, which is usually leading and driving people to help them.
To be a great senior leader, you need to spend most of your time working on strategic tasks and avoid getting stuck in an operational trap.
How do you do that?
1. Create systems:
By using strategic planning to build and implement a system that provides direction to everyone in your organization. Your employees know what they're working toward, they understand how their role advances the organization's goals, and it helps them focus their strategic time working on the business rather than in the business.
Finally, ensure they have clear goals and performance expectations so they know where their work needs to be directed in order to achieve those goals. If you don't have any of that, it means you'll have to check in with each individual to ensure that they are going forward, which means you rarely have time to do your own job.
2. Communication:
Your job as a senior leader is to ensure that you are communicating what you need to your team. You need to provide them with Direction - Information - Resources.
Check to see if they're becoming stuck at any point in their job; if they are, it usually signifies they're either missing information or aren't sure what to do next. As a senior leader, it is your responsibility to ensure that your team gets clear guidance and all of the information they need to make their own decisions.
You can't expect someone to travel 100 miles and only give them money for 60 miles of gas, so make sure they have all the resources they need to complete their work.
3. Time:
Prioritize ensuring that your team members can complete the job successfully in whatever time it takes over just doing it quickly. The easiest way to get a project off track is to put time limits on tasks that don't need them or that don't help the project's goals.
FURTHER INSIGHT
To gain a well-rounded perspective on how to effectively delegate to your team, we recommend reviewing these pertinent articles.
Micromanaging Your Remote Workers? Own It, Then Fix It
Insights from: Gartner
- Think you're a Micromanager? Ask these five questions to determine whether you’re guilty. If you are, do this instead. Your employees will thank you.
If You Do These Five Things It's Obvious you Are a Micromanager
Insights from: Forbes
- When you micromanage employees, you send the message that you either don’t trust your team or you don’t trust yourself.
Pulling The Strings? Why Micromanaging is Damaging Your SME
Insights from: Neil Petch
- Entrepreneurs who know how and when to adapt their style of leadership and management as their business evolves also tend to get the best results.
CONTRARIAN CORNER
In this segment of Leader's Digest, we highlight a new approach to dealing with the topic of discussion. This will identify alternative modern solutions for your consideration
Take a look at the following articles, which present a different take on micromanagement and effective delegation.
Sometimes Micromanagement is Good and Necessary
Insights from: Forbes
- There are times when micromanaging is essential. Here's when and why.
Quiet Quitting & The Micromanager: Dead or Alive?
Insights from: Cliff Oxford
- When I walk into companies running circles around the competition, I always find the same thing: micromanagers with people skills placed all over the management team.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Here are some of our actionable tips that you can use right away to stop bad micromanagement and start delegating in a way that helps your company grow.
How To Stop Micromanaging Your Employees
Insight from: Harvard Business School
- To improve retention, one area you should focus on is to stop micromanaging.
Try These 12 Strategies If You Need To Stop Micromanaging
Insight from: Forbes
- For new and experienced leaders alike, one of their biggest management challenges is learning how to properly delegate.
How To Help (Without Micromanaging)
Insight from: Harvard Business Review
- Extensive research shows that when employees get hands-on managerial support, they perform better than when they’re left to their own devices, but unnecessary or unwanted help can be demoralizing and counterproductive.
WEIGH IN
You're invited to become a part of the conversation.
Participate in this poll question:
As a leader, do you think it's necessary to micromanage at work?
- Yes, it is.
- No, I'm always fine delegating.
- Maybe on important projects.
Click here to provide your answer and view the collective results.
SME STRATEGY NEWS
There's always a lot going on at SME Strategy. Here's a snapshot of recent and upcoming articles, events, and news.
NEW SME TEAM MEMBERS
We're excited to introduce you to three new team members that have joined our firm!
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Arnold Ikpatt is our new Digital Marketing Strategist based in Vancouver.
Mike Sproule has come aboard as Business Development Manager, located in our Victoria office.
Jen Scumaci, MBA has joined as a Senior Facilitator and is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Learn more about our team by clicking here.
