New to Managing: Balancing Management and Micromanagement

Transitioning from high performing, reliable worker to “manager” status is a challenging adjustment. Normally, we pride ourselves for being self-sufficient, detail oriented, and goal driven but many qualities that made us a great team member, do not always translate into a great manager. Let’s break down what may be going on and what tools we can use to make us the managers we wished we had.

When we level up, we are expected to be able to lead a team; what they don’t tell us is, how to do it. We naturally rely on the tools we’ve sharpened: self starter, diligent task completer, and resourceful. Great, we can get the work done but now we have so much more on our plate. How do we incorporate others without making them feel “micromanaged”? We, as reliable and highly competent workers, tend to struggle, not just with giving out tasks to our new team, but knowing how to step back to allow others to grow (or do the work themselves rather than taking it all on ourselves).

One of the best analogies I’ve heard to explain the difficulties of transitioning into management is by using a factory setting. Imagine you are working on the ground floor in a factory and your job was to do one task. You received a promotion because you were very proficient at doing one or maybe even various jobs on the ground floor. A promotion means you step back from the job and climb 5 steps. Now your new responsibility is not to go down the stairs, put your head down and complete the task you were previously great at, it’s to take the steps back and see everything going on on the floor. The difficulties come when one feels the urge to go down the stairs and get the job done. We are in a transitional period where our old job still needs to be completed but we are learning how to execute it from a different angle and with the help of others. We are also being paid to do the reflective work necessary to make the ground floor work more efficiently.

Great, so how do we do it?

Let’s stick with the analogy. You were on the ground floor, what specific tasks did you do on a recurring basis and why? Take a piece of paper and jot them down as a “brain dump”. Now, are there correlations between them? Are there particular over arching projects or parts to a project you were responsible for? This “birds eye view” exercise is you taking those steps back and walking up the 5-steps to look at the bigger picture.

Now, the hard part, how do we get to the end goal? Previously, we may have personally worked backwards from the goal to outline all the tasks that needed to be completed. A good manager knows what tasks need to be completed but a great manager utilizes the expertise of others to outline the path. How about we shift and ask our team,

• “How do we get to ___ goal?”
• “What does ___ department need to do?”
• “Do we need assistance from ___?”
• “Could work be done quicker if ___?”

Listen, reflect, and ask direct questions.

A great manager is not there to complete tasks or dictate them, they are there to listen, reflect, create a supportive work environment for their team, and allow others to see how they fit in the big picture. There are times when we feel very pressed to complete tasks but by reframing one’s new role as a listener instead of a task creator, we open up the opportunity for others to grow professionally and leave room for creativity and development. We also allow others to see how they play a part in the bigger picture.

What about accountability? How does one keep track of everything getting done?

Good note taking. During meetings where we ask “How do we get to “x” goal?” action items and their deadlines are created. These bullet points are the tool that help managers keep track of progress and redirect workflow if need be. They are also the tool that help managers “see the bigger picture” and notice if the team is headed in the intended direction. By still coming from a listening framework we are able to strengthen the team’s capability, support, and clear direction compared to when we only used a dictation mode.

A good template to use is the Running Plan. It helps us keep track of team meetings and directs the conversation with the direct questions that need to be asked and answered. Try these questions, take notes, and let me know what you think! Managing is not an easy role but by using tools and new frameworks, your team will feel more unified and stronger together. Take a breath, climb those 5 steps ups, and begin listening and reflecting. Reflection work is never pressing but always necessary.