Assuming things will happen = poor decisions

Why do you assume that what you delegate will simply happen?

• Do you empower your team fully, seeing them as responsible and giving them the benefit of the doubt?
• Would you prefer not to actively manage projects or people?
• Do you assume that others are as motivated as you are?
• Do you feel you are pestering or demeaning people by following up?
• Do you regard yourself as a fellow professional rather than as your team's manager?
• Does your primary source of job satisfaction stem from the work itself rather than managerial tasks?

How can you strike the right balance between retaining your professional identity while still fully carrying out your managerial responsibilities?

• Can you re-frame your role in a way that is more palatable to you?
• If you see yourself as a coach, for example, you can think of yourself as helping your team develop rather than as controlling them.
• Or as a coordinator or facilitator - you then need to know where everyone is at in order to ensure that the team as a whole is pulling in the same direction.
• One reason we avoid following up is that it feels like showing a lack of trust. This is usually associated with ad hoc follow up.
• You can avoid this problem by agreeing follow up dates in advance.
• It shows respect for their judgement - asking them when and how often it would be useful to review where they are on projects. This way you are not imposing your own timeframes on them.
• You can also position follow up as a communication or knowledge sharing tool rather than as a control procedure.
• Or as an opportunity for you to do some coaching with them.