One of the biggest mindset shifts new and even some experienced managers face is letting other people do things they know how to do well.
If you’ve built your career on being the go-to expert, it can feel risky to hand things off to someone less experienced. You might think:
- “It will be faster for me to do this myself rather than take the time to explain it.”
- “What if they do it wrong? Then I’ll just have to fix it.”
- “If they do it wrong it will reflect poorly on me and my team. That’s too risky.”
- “I’m going to do this thing because I’m the only one who really understands it.”
These are the thoughts of a conscientious manager who has allowed their good intentions and perfectionist habits to take the “flow” out of workflows. And if not careful such work habits can create bottlenecks and frustrations that stall the development and success of both the manager and their team.
In coaching, I work with clients to shift from:
- Execution to empowerment
- Control to clarity
- Being the “go to” for everything to being the effective manager everyone wants to work for
Delegation isn’t about abdicating responsibility. It’s about clearly communicating expectations, building trust, and giving others autonomy. It’s about giving your team the opportunity to stretch while you focus on more complex and strategic projects and providing a better work environment for everyone.
If you’re ready to lead without burning out, it starts by learning how to let go.
Let’s work on that together.