The 6 No-no’s of Successful Delegation Part 3: Never Micromanage

Never Micromanage

As a first time leader, you want to do a good job. No, you want to do a GREAT job! You’re concerned it might reflect badly on you if something goes wrong, whether you are in charge of an event or an organization. Your name & face are what people see & you are going to do everything in your power to make certain everything goes RIGHT! Unfortunately, this often leads to micromanaging every aspect of  of your event or organization. Nothing is going to slip through the cracks on your watch. Nothing, that is, except all those wonderful workers helping you. Workers who get tired very quickly of having every task & decision second guessed by their Fearful Leader!

Managers need to dot every I & cross every T. Leaders need to have faith their workers are taking care of the I’s & T’s. For this reason, leaders must do their work before assigning tasks to others. They must create a list of all the things that need to be done or positions to be filled. Leaders must then study the people in their potential worker pool, matching the best people (based on their gifts & talents) with tasks or positions. While everyone may not be a “perfect” fit, you should match them up as closely as possible, allowing room for growth. I believe a vital part of leadership is helping others grow. Growth gives individuals a sense of pride & accomplishment while increasing your worker pool.

Once you have people in place, let them do their job. Check with them regularly in case they need something. Let them know you are always available should they have questions or need help. Otherwise, LEAVE THEM ALONE! Talented workers become frustrated when someone is constantly staring over their shoulder. It implies you have no faith in their ability. If they are an experienced worker, they will resent this implication. If they are a new worker, just learning how to apply their talents, they will become insecure, questioning their ability to do the job correctly. In either case, you have cost yourself time & talent. In addition, word will get out that you are NOT the one people want to work with on any event or in any organization.

Take a breath, stand back & let people do the job they are qualified to do. In the long run, this technique makes things much less stressful for everyone!