RightToLead.com

Let the clerks, accountants, janitors, or messenger boy do their jobs.

Don’t get bogged down in the trivial details. Your job is to provide leadership and direction. When the managers are spending their time on the day-to-day routine, who will provide the pathway to the future?

MANAGEMENT MYOPIA

Many bosses lose sight of their responsibilities and priorities. Some believe that “if you want the job done right, do it yourself!” Many are more comfortable doing work they were trained to do, expert at, or proficient with, during a previous part of their career. What they fail to realize, or have repressed the thought, is that they are shortchanging the company, themselves, and their employees.

Subordinates are deprived of opportunity for growth when managers perform tasks intended for lower levels of staff. Plus, top executives don’t get their money’s worth when their managers are spending the bulk of their workday doing work well below their pay scale. Furthermore, more important management tasks and responsibilities are undoubtedly being neglected.

A LITTLE ADVICE

Managers must remain cognizant that their top priority is being a manager! That means delegating work to others. For high-level management, their direction should focus on leading the way to the future, and external relationships.

“Sensing” the external environment is a must. It’s essential to be aware of changes in the organization’s environment which could have beneficial or detrimental consequences– the “opportunities,” and “threats.” Will you identify those major unforeseen, perhaps knowable, dangers, or will you be: “Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?”

What of “best practices” in your sphere of responsibility, could the competition be outpacing you?  You obviously need to be aware of what is working, and what isn’t, in your industry.

The manager has an obligation to perform her managerial responsibilities: Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling. Being a “Super-Clerk” is not part of your responsibilities. Recognize this and adjust your priorities accordingly.