From Manager Expert to Manager Resource

How much autonomy or empowerment does your team have?

If you have to spend all your time telling your team what to do, when to do, where to do, how to do, and who to do it with …. you have a problem.

If you have been promoted to team leader or manager because you are the best at what your team does, you have been promoted for the wrong reasons.

The days of the expert manager, who knows better than all of those around her or him are long gone.

The role of a manager today is not to have all the answers, but to be able to find all the answers; again, if you are more intelligent than the collective of intelligence of your team, you have the wrong people in your team.

Clearly, there are some limits; not knowing anything about the “subject matter” of what your team does can create credibility issues. However, between knowing nothing and being the expert, leaves room for manoeuvre.

The role of a manager today is to maximise the team’s autonomy in organising, carrying out, and developing the work they do.

Does your team have autonomy in carrying out its activities? Are team members autonomous in implementing their skills to carry out the tasks that are assigned to in compliance with the requirements to be met? Or do you have to be on their backs making sure everything is ok?

Does your team have autonomy in organising activities? Are team members autonomous in identifying the tasks to be carried out and distributing them among the team while setting objectives and parameters for their achievement? Or do you have to define, structure and schedule the work to be carried out?

Does your team have autonomy in the management of internal and external relations? Are team members autonomous in interacting with the internal services on which they depend to carry out their activities as well as with external service providers, clients and partners? Or does all communication have to be validated and go through you?

Does your team have autonomy in the evolution of their way of working? Are team members autonomous in developing their way of working; improving processes or procedures, identifying new skills required and associated training programs, etc.? Or is it you that initiates change and transformation in the way of working?

Being a team manager is less about being a “manager expert” directing a “team of resources” and more about being a “manager resource” supporting a “team of experts”.

Any thoughts?