Interpersonal Business

The role of the manager and the role of the company are not the same. It’s easy to get caught up in doing what you’ve always done, but it’s time to detach yourself from the day-to-day oppressions; you can’t “do all and be all.” Start by delegating the least productive aspects of what you do. Hold a meeting with your staff to formalize your “new” role within the company, and announce your new role, along with a list of new contact personnel, to those with whom you will now work less. Focus on what’s really important personally and professionally. No one should want this more than you.

Rather than make a bad decision, many managers choose the worst possible alternative: no decision at all. Managers must be decision makers, and encourage staff members to make decisions about their own areas of expertise, even if it differs from their own (the manager’s) conclusion. Delegate the $100 decisions to others. We must encourage the decision making process; no one intentionally makes a bad decision. Take pleasure in good decisions, and learn from those that aren’t.

The manager-managee relationship and balance of power has significantly evolved in recent years. We have often asked those we manage to begin to “think like a manager.” The old school of “management by dictatorship” will only serve to limit the fundamental quality of your staff. We understand the need to nurture and delegate to our staff, but are we willing to relinquish power in the process?

Delegation is management’s only long-term hope for survival. The only great risk to management is in not effectively granting responsibility to others. What are the qualities of pride and doing a job well? We must have the confidence and ability to hold all of our staff accountable. Expect those around you to take on a challenge and they will rarely disappoint you.