Sure, being known as a multi-tasker is usually considered a good thing, but taking on too many tasks can be distressing to the manager and to the rest of the team. As managers, we want to show our value to the company. We often do this by taking on more projects while maintaining all of our core responsibilities. You want me to use this brand new software I’ve never used before to validate this data? Bring it on. You want me to train this new employee? You got it. Put out this fire? Let me get right on that. The problem with this is we cannot usually finish every time-sensitive task within our traditional work hours. This means we’re spending more hours in the office or bringing work home so we can meet deadlines and prove our vast capabilities to everyone. Work-life balance is thrown out the window. Stress levels increase. The dog is being neglected. You’re living off of hot Cheetos and red Gatorade. Your laptop shares the space your significant other use to. Although we prioritize, shouldering all these responsibilities may mean we are unfocused on other areas that need our attention.
Step 1: Start delegating some of your work to your team and let go of your insecurities and excuses. You may not want to let go of the reins, the control. If you assign these tasks to others, will you be seen as less valuable? It might take too much time to train someone else to do the assignment and it’s easier for you to continue to do it yourself. Instead, look at it this way. Redistributing some of your duties to your team means you can focus on pressing, high-level matters that are more deserving of your time. Investing the time to train employees on the front-end offers better long-term results and confidence as you walk away from those particular tasks. Plus, it’s a great way to grow the skillset of your team.
Step 2: Ask for help. We often don’t want to do this because we still think we can do it all or we don’t want to show anyone what we perceive is a weakness. Asking for help is not a weakness. You are doing what needs to be done to help make the company a success. There is absolutely no shame in asking for assistance. It is setting aside the belief that being entirely self-sufficient defines your personal success. If you can do everything on your own, then what is the purpose of having a support team? It is more time-efficient to be able to divide and conquer.
Step 3: Reiterating Steps 1 and 2. Change your mindset. Stop making it about the ME and more about the WE. If you train others on how to do some of your duties, it is possible those employees may one day take these newly acquired skills to other companies. We run that risk anyway for other reasons beyond our control. Instead of worrying about this, utilize your time and resources for more effective productivity. Good teams work cohesively and offer their individual strengths for the good of the whole. Besides, when you stop trying to do it all on your own, you can focus on being the kind of manager the employees want to work with indefinitely.
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