With more and more companies permanently or temporarily going remote, leaders are having to find new ways to adjust to being involved and productive with their teams.
So whether you’re new to this whole remote work thing or a seasoned veteran, how can you make sure your employees are productive without being all in their business?
In other words, how can you be a good leader without micromanaging?
Lisa Zeeveld and I talked about this and more in this episode of One Next Step.
Here are some takeaways we shared:
1. Hire adults who know how to do their job and do it well, then trust them to do it.
Micromanaging your team makes it appear that you don’t trust them, which will eventually lead to them not trusting you.
If you have a solid, healthy hiring process, trust that process to bring you the right people who allow you to do what you do best.
You can't think strategically when you're in the weeds, and you must be able to think ahead. Setting yourself up for future growth and success through strategies is more important now that it ever has been.
Productivity is getting the right things done in an effective amount of time that fits into your ideal work week. Part of my job as a leader is making sure I'm removing roadblocks and providing resources. A key to this kind of productivity is also making sure I have the right employees to get the work done.
2. Revisit your delegation priorities regularly.
As a leader, what you’re responsible for today might be different than what you were responsible for six months ago.
The more you can begin shedding tactical work for strategic work, the more you’ll be able to better lead your team and cast vision for its future.
Putting tools and structures in place will allow you to continue to trust the right people you hired to accomplish their work. These people are experts at what they do. You will not feel the need to micromanage when you have the peace of mind knowing that they have it covered.
If you're overwhelmed, delegate and pay attention to where you're spending your time, energy and effort so you can be the most productive version of you.
3. Sometimes just a good old-fashioned communication is all you need to be a good leader.
There’s nothing wrong with using the latest, fancy communication tools to keep you and your team informed. But sometimes, a simple post-it note, five-minute conversation, or quick phone call is all you need.
Don’t make your team jump through a bunch of technological hoops if you can be more efficient and effective in other ways.
Gathering weekly updates from your team members will help you to be able to cast vision and create strategy. Explaining this will start to empower them instead of make them think that you assume they are not doing their job.
Getting to a point where your organization is cohesive and trusts each other will build respect when asking things from your team members. Understanding where the struggles and problems are will allow you to lead with peace and not micromanage. Knowledge is power.