Any good leader has made the mistake of doing too much. This is understandable, especially for managers taking on their first job or managers getting promoted to department heads or higher for the first time. Rather than leaning on your staff, you feel as though you must do everything on your own to ensure it is done properly. This only does one thing, though, and that is that far more will be missed since you are stretching yourself so thin.
First and foremost, realize that in order to get promoted, you need to make other staff promotable, which means training your staff members in every aspect of the job. Rather than being underwater all day, every day, working 70-hour workweeks, and working seven days a week, start thinking about delegating some of your tasks out to managers and crew leaders in your department.
Identify and Define Delegatable Tasks
There are obviously some tasks you are not going to be able to delegate, but a large portion of the basic tasks under your purview are delegatable tasks. Giving the team measurable goals is the first step in handing the ball over to someone else. When you delegate a task, give clearly defined goals and rules for the employee(s) to follow to ensure success.
Create Delegation Committees
Some tasks, due to their nature, can be too complex for one person to handle. Employees love recognition, so name a committee to address specific challenges and assign multiple employees (and at least one supervisor) to be on the committee. Give them their task, outline the goal and rules as mentioned above and schedule time each day or week to work on this task. Assign a leader to the committee (this will help with his or her leadership skills) and have him or her keep you updated on the committee’s progress. When the task has been completed, conduct a meeting that will include all members of the committee to discuss their possible solutions.
After the committee has reached its conclusions and presented them to you, allow them to implement the final solution to the challenge presented. There may need to be adjustments to their proposal along the way, so build time for these “adjustments” into your ultimate timeline for everything to be in place. This entire process will help every staff member involved improve in their understanding of the business as well as their leadership skills.
Now That You Have Free Time…
Initially, delegating tasks will take considerable time, as you are going to have to directly oversee your staff members as they learn their new tasks but eventually, these tasks will be off your plate and onto theirs. You will notice that you are no longer required to work seven days a week, 70 hours a week, but that does not necessarily mean you get to slack off, either.
It is now up to you to make better use of your time. It is now time to make yourself even more promotable with cross-training and learning your direct supervisor’s job. Additionally, start to expand your knowledge beyond your department. The more knowledge you possess, the stronger your bargaining power for promotion or in placing yourself ahead of the competition when searching for a new position.