Doing or leading?

In a recent training class, I was discussing with a group of executive managers the need to create a workplace environment of trust. It was a topic that immediately resonated with the group; their own experiences as employees had helped them to understand the need to develop habits that build trust with their employees, but they admitted their failures in doing so. The problem is that busy managers are usually convinced that they simply don’t have the time to practice those habits.

And they would be right. First of all, typical management practices tend to be reactive, and managers are often consumed with addressing critical “fires” each day. Second, managers often feel compelled to be the center of the universe – making all the decisions, solving all the problems, and monitoring the details of multiple projects, in an attempt to control things. This invariably translates into a time problem; there is never enough time in the day for one overriding reason: the manager is doing the work instead of leading the work.

Here are some indicators that you may be “doing” too much and “leading” too little:

1. Your office feels like Grand Central Station.

2. You can’t go five minutes without answering a question from an employee.
3. You routinely find yourself facing critical deadlines and wondering why your employees aren’t getting things done.
4. You frequently ask why your employees aren’t more accountable or committed.
5. You never seem to have time to plan ahead.
6. You never seem to have time to work on personal development.
7. You find it very difficult to take a vacation.
8. You feel chained to your Blackberry.

The complaint I hear most often from managers is that they never have enough time. Some indicate that the stress they experience is overwhelming them; others complain that they are approaching “burn out.” Fortunately, while this is not a problem that can be addressed overnight, it can be fixed!

The first step is to admit the problem. If you agreed with more than four of the statements above, you have a problem.

“Hi, my name is _____________, and I don’t trust my employees.”