Part 2: #2 and #3
2. Micromanagement
Micromanagement is a leadership style that involves minutely overseeing every aspect of a project or task.
Leaders who micromanage often struggle to delegate tasks and responsibilities, not allowing mistakes, or not giving team members autonomy to take ownership. It creates an oppressive and controlling work atmosphere, one where teammates often feel stuck.
Growth in the workplace certainly happens through wins, but more than not, just like in life, we learn from our losses and failures.
With managers constantly looking over our shoulders, it is nearly impossible for that personal development to take place.
It is eerily similar to “helicopter moms” who don’t let their children grow.
Celebrate failure like you celebrate wins.
What to do instead:
- Encourage your team members to take calculated risks and learn from their mistakes.
- Delegate tasks and responsibilities based on your team members’ skills and interests.
- Allow your team members to take ownership of their work and feel a sense of accomplishment.
- Provide opportunities to get feedback from your team members about how they want to grow in the workplace and what challenges they would like to take on.
3. Inability To Delegate
Inability to delegate is a leadership mistake that involves holding onto too many responsibilities and failing to delegate tasks and responsibilities to team members.
Leaders who fail to delegate often become overwhelmed and unable to focus on strategic priorities.
Delegation is not dumping responsibility, but giving team members a chance to use their skills to the utmost.
Not only does it negatively impact leaders, but it also doesn’t allow others’ ideas into their workplace.
John Maxwell believes that if you are certain a person can do 80% as good of a job as you, it should be delegated to that person.
A leader can certainly mentor the person, but they should be allowed to grow through this new opportunity for them.
What to do instead:
- Aim to delegate your workload to team members if you believe they will be 80% successful.
- Delegate tasks that align with the organization’s mission and vision.
- Utilize that new found time with your own opportunities for personal growth and new challenges for you.
- Celebrate the successes and show gratitude through your team members when they accomplish something delegated to them...to be continued…