You may be working too hard. Not in the way you think – I’m ruling out physical labor and long hours, although the latter may be related to the topic of this post.

So many leaders are micromanaging, and telling their employees WHAT to do and HOW to do it, that they work themselves into high stress and long hours that is needless. When a leader learns to use coaching skills to help employees figure out how to get the work done on their own, and when a leader learns to let go and trust that employees will get the work done well…….sometimes magic happens.

You are then able to focus on the big things – the vision, communication, setting the tone for the organization. The fun stuff.

How to change your thinking and actions to making your employees accountable? Some first thoughts and steps:

• Figure out the roots your aversion to allowing employees to do what needs to be done. Often this is a control issue – a bit of narcisism, perhaps, that you are the only one who can do it right. Is this true?
• Do you have the right people in the seats to get the work done? If not, some “reorganization” or training may be in order.
• Assuming your organization is in a spot to begin to trust and empower your employees, start by communicating the “WHAT” that needs to be done. Listen to what the employees have to say about that. Allow them to ask questions about the WHAT.
• Let go of the how. You may need to coach employees with some well thought-out questions that will assist them in figuring out the “how”. Some examples:

What is the first step you can take?

What will be your biggest challenge here?

What will empower you to fulfill your commitment?

What barriers are in your way to completing this?

• Let go of the need to be involved in the HOW. Be clear in communicating how you want to be informed of progress, and hold the employees accountable to delivery as agreed.
• When the HOW is complete, reassess your aversion to empowering employees. What would you do differently? Are you able to begin coaching them to come up with the “WHAT”?