Pay attention to details without micromanaging

Oh, the life of a manager. You need to give your team space, but you have to make sure they are delivering the project on time and under budget, which means you should pay close attention to details. But what if being detail-oriented negatively affects your management style?



For example, say you make it a habit to immerse yourself in overseeing a project, and you resist delegating to others, because you want to control the fine points of a project.



Hate to break it to you, but that is micromanaging, and those kinds of managers are not the ones that engage their team. Micromanagers are overly involved in the details of projects and are too controlling of those who should be attending to the details. Think about it, if the boss is going to control every detail, why should the employees even bother with it?



In addition, paying too close attention to certain details can cause unnecessary second-guessing, along with potential redundant work.



On the flip side, if you’re scared of becoming a micromanager, and take a ‘hands-of’ approach to your team, you might get blindsided by missed deadlines, and be perceived as being too distant from the details.



This is where you need to understand the fine line between monitoring the details and telling people how to do each task.



Efficient managers monitor performance without being too controlling of the details of how the work is accomplished. Learn how to balance the control of details with worker expertise, clarity of work goals, and frequent performance-based feedback.



Here are some tips:

When you establish yearly goals with your employees, ask them the level of involvement they want from you. Ask what you can do to be most helpful. Then follow through with their request whenever possible.

When determining the amount of latitude to give to an employee, consider his or her experience and motivation. For example, give more latitude to a person who is highly skilled and motivated in a particular area. Conversely, individuals learning a new skill will likely benefit from closer guidance.

Let your staff go forward with their ideas unless you have a major problem with their plans. Keep in mind that learning from mistakes is one of the most effective and common ways for people to develop.

Learn the difference between holding people accountable and micromanaging. Focus on results, not on whether they are achieved in exactly the same way you would achieve them.

Don’t micromanage, even new people. Instead, train people, break work down into manageable steps that they can handle successfully, and establish checkpoints.

Now it’s your turn. How do you balance the fine line between paying attention to details and micromanaging?

My way or the highway doesn’t always work

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. -- Dwight Eisenhower

All managers and leaders could learn something from those words about the art of delegation. However, it appears many don’t because some seem to think if they don’t do the work themselves, it won’t be done right. That kind of view about management is probably one of the biggest mistakes managers can make.

Some managers may be afraid to delegate because they believe it will take too long to train someone effectively, or if they delegate too much they won’t have any work to do themselves. In other words, it is hard for them to give up control. But when managers fail to delegate, they are disrespecting their direct reports, and that manager is most likely perceived as not trusting others to take responsibility for their work.

The managers that thrive on micromanaging, but also feel threatened by a loss of control are making the job a lot harder for themselves. If you abide by that philosophy, you’ll work more hours because you still need to perform your duties, but you are also taking on the work of your direct reports.

If you don’t want to spend your life at work, you have to learn to let go, and trust your direct reports to get the job done.

The ability to delegate requires more than simply assigning responsibilities and tasks. You have to know the extent to which others can handle assignments. You also need to have a grasp on your tolerance for mistakes. You may require perfect work from yourself, but are those realistic expectations for your direct reports?

There are different aspects of delegation. Too much delegation to one person and you’ll risk alienating that individual along with receiving inadequate results. However, too little delegation keeps others dependant on you, and that can also be overdone.

The key is to find a balance when you delegate, and we won’t leave you hanging; here are some tips to help you delegate more efficiently:

·When assigning responsibility, consider which tasks you could serve as back-up instead of lead; which tasks could be assumed by a group member under your close direction; and whether there are other factors that prevent delegation.

·Delegate each task and describe the expected result (i.e., success, acceptable performance, unacceptable performance) to the person assigned. Then ask the assigned staff member to develop an action plan.

·Note the strengths, weaknesses and work preferences of your staff. Note the type of assignments best suited to each team member. Use this information when you delegate tasks.

·Consider your team members as collaborators rather than subordinates. Use each person’s skills to create a shared outcome. Make team members responsible to each other for performance.

·Delegate in ways that meet the needs, learning styles, and abilities of each person (for example, a newly hired employee will probably need more detailed instructions and background information than an experienced employee).

Do you have any tips for delegation that you’d like to share?