Compulsory manager work

If you’re a manager, there are some things that you need to do in order to lead your people.  Not someone else.   I’ll state the corollary – there are certain things that you cannot assign or delegate if you want an effective team.  And these things apply regardless of the level in the organisation; from CEO through to the people managing the shop floor or the sales team, if you’re accountable for the work of others, these things are yours.

Here are four of them:

Planning.  This one is commonly delegated, and it’s a mistake.  It’s fine to assign typing the thing up, making it look fancy, and you should get feedback and have long debates with your people.  But the act of creating the first cut of ‘here’s why we exist, here’s what we’re going to do, and here’s why it’s a good idea’ is yours and no one elses.  Imagine a coach getting the team together for the first time, then saying “has anyone got any ideas?”  Uninspiring.

Explaining the role.  Only you can provide the coaching to your people on why their roles exist and what they are there to do.  That’s because you’re the one accountable for their work, so it has to come from you.  Others might know, but if your people have to find out from them rather than you, their trust is going to head south.

Explaining and reviewing the work.  It’s your job to let your people know what you want.  They shouldn’t have to work through a translator, as your role as a manager exists to add value to the work of your people,which you do by clearly assigning work.   And it’s your job to personally check whether it’s met your standard.

Decide on the formal recognition going in the file.   Each employee deserves to know who makes the final judgement in terms of whether they are considered to be effective.  And that person is their manager – you.  If you handball this job to someone else, you’re handballing trust right along with it.

Opportunities will abound for you to delegate all of the above as people will be happy to play manager for you.  You can buy some short-term time, but the long-term pain will become clear as your people disengage first from you, then the organisation.