Too Much to Do – Not Enough Time?

When I’m working with leaders they often report having WAY TOO MUCH TO DO and not nearly enough time. I know that organizations are asking folks to “do more with less” and that everyone is feeling the effects.

When I’m working with staff members they often report how much they DISLIKE BEING MICROMANAGED and that they like interesting work and new challenges (just not too many of them).

I subscribe to Harvard Business Review‘s Management Tip of the Day and this morning the post was very helpful – it’s called Why Aren’t You Delegating?

Reading that article allowed me connect the dots between what the leaders need and the staff members want. It ties directly into the Performance Paradigm (from page 52 in SHIFT to Professional Paradise). Here’s the Paradigm in a nutshell…your beliefs and mindsets drive your actions and outcomes.

Unfortunately, some managers beliefs are “If you want something done right you have to do it yourself” or “I’m dumping work if I give it to the team”.   These beliefs lead to mindsets about “doing it all”. And this leads to actions which include staying late, working through lunch, and taking work home. The resentment starts to build over time and the outcome is stress! The place to start is to examine the beliefs.

On the other side of the coin is the employee who wants more responsibility but is afraid to ask. His or her belief is “I’m not sure I can do that work”. Which leads to a mindset of “this is boring”. Next come the actions – slogging through the day and the outcome is stress! The place to start is to examine the beliefs.

Here’s what you can do to break the cycle:

Leaders – ask team members “What do you see me doing that I could be delegating to you that I’m not right now?” (I asked my office manager this question and she had LOTS of great ideas and it’s helped me tremendously. And I will admit I do have to continually remind myself not to micromanage the end product.)

Team members – ask your supervisor “What could you delegate to me that would help make your job easier?” or ask about a specific responsibility you are interested in. (I once asked my boss for an opportunity to sit on a system-wide committee and she was thrilled because she didn’t have time and I really enjoyed the learning opportunity it provided me.)

Delegating can benefit both parties in the interaction. Dive in and give it a try today.