Managers are often criticized for watching every step their subordinates make and instructing their people on how to do their jobs to the smallest detail. Sometimes they even do the work themselves to avoid the possibility that something goes wrong. However, there is also the opposite extreme of managers' behavior which is widely overlooked.
Some managers give their people too much free space and don't get involved even in necessary situations. Insufficient attention can be as dangerous as too much attention. It leads to employee dissatisfaction and lost productivity. How can you tell if you are not involved enough? The following warning signs were described by Alison Green, the author of popular manager tips on the Fast Track blog.
You are not satisfied with the results of work
Are the results of your team's work not meeting your expectations? This can be caused by two things. You either delegate poorly and /or do not get involved enough during the work process. At the beginning of each project, it is necessary to clarify your expectations and then continuously monitor whether they are being met. You have to be aware of changes, adapt and coach your people.
Your people don't know how you evaluate their work
Only you can tell them how well they are working. If you remain silent, you'll get the only possible result - your best workers will feel unacknowledged, the average will think they are working perfectly, and poor performers will see that poor performance does not matter.
You don't know whether your people meet their goals
Every worker has certain important goals. However, the fact that a worker does not inform you about his progress toward his goals does not mean that everything is going well. If you don't ask, you will probably learn about problems too late. In addition, it will look like you don't consider your people's goals as important enough.
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