Stop Micromanaging Your Team: Subtitles & Captions for The 3-Step Method

Have you been trying to step back from the day-to-day and let your team just get on with it? Maybe you've managed it for a week or two, but you know, something crops up, your gut kicks in, and before you know it, you're right back where you started. Now, in this video, I'm going to show you why this keeps happening and how to actually step back and mean it once and for all. >> [music] >> And look, I get it, right? Being needed feels good, doesn't it? When your team comes to you, when you're the one sorting things out, and when nothing moves without you, there's a part of you that kind of likes it, right? It feels like you're doing a good job, and there's something deeper going on, too, because if you're not the one in the middle of everything, if you're not one fixing things and making the calls and holding it all together, then what are you actually doing all day? And that's the question that stops most managers from stepping back. They trust their teams well enough. What they don't know is what their own job even looks like once they're not in the middle of it all. So, when someone tells you to step back, it doesn't feel like freedom. It feels like you're letting go of the thing that made you useful. And every time something wobbles even a little bit, your gut tells you to jump straight back in and to fix it. But let me tell you what actually happens when you keep doing that. Now, it's a bit like teaching a kid to ride a bike. You've told them they're on their own, but you've still got a hand on the back of the saddle ready to grab it the second they wobble. So, they never really learn to balance because they can feel your hand still there. And the moment you do let go, they fall over. Now, I did this myself when I handed over sales function once. I'd given somebody the lot, targets, the team, calls, everything. But every now and again, I'd swoop in on a big deal and take over, telling myself that I was helping us to win the deal. But what I was really doing was telling everyone the final say was still mine. So, bit by bit, they stopped running the department like it was theirs. And that's the trap. You think you're helping, but every time you step back, the message your team gets is that you don't fully trust them yet. So, let me show you how to fix this. But first, what I'm covering in this video is part of a bigger framework I teach, and it's called Unled. I've put a full breakdown of how all six parts work together, and I'll link that below. And if you want to know just how much your team relies on you right now, I've put a link to a free Unled diagnostic in the description. It takes just 2 minutes to complete, gives you a score out of 100, and you'll get a breakdown of how to improve. So, how do you actually step back? Let me give you three solid approaches to help you with this. Now, the first thing is that you've got to declare the exit. They're not mind readers, you know, and until you explicitly tell them, they'll still copy you into emails, they'll still check in with you for reassurance, and all that type of thing. So, pick one thing you want to step back from, and tell your team straight. Tell them who owns it now, tell them what they don't need to check with you on, and also tell them what they should come to you for. Now, when I stepped back from the day-to-day running of Skill Scub, I made it really obvious to everybody. I told the whole company that Jenny ran the show now, and I pointed everybody in her direction when I received a query from one of my team. Did everything dry up overnight for me? Well, no, but within a month or so, the team had adjusted really well and enabled me to just focus on new products and the strategy. And this is the key to all of this. You can't step back on the quiet and hope your people will notice. You've got to make it crystal clear, make it specific, and then stick to it. Now, here's the hard part. Once you step back, something will go wrong. Maybe not straight away, but it will happen, I can assure you of that. And your gut will scream at you to just jump back in. So, before All does, is what would have to happen for you to step back in. I call this your re-entry [music] rule. So, you might only step in if it puts a client at risk, or if it's going to have a significant impact on revenue. Another reason could be if you've seen the same problem crop up twice in a row. Either way, write them down and share them with your team so they understand when you'd get involved. So, you've declared your exit and you've worked out when you'd step back in through your re-entry rules. What I'd like you to do next is to put regular checkpoints in your diary to keep you on track. Now, I want you to ask yourself the following four questions. Number one, have I stayed out like I said I would? Number two, did I get pulled back in and if so, why? Number three, has the person I handed it to been making the decisions without me? And lastly, what evidence do I have that the team was properly taking the change on board? So, you might find from those questions that you've drifted back in. And if you have, don't beat yourself up about it. Just declare the exit again and go again. The aim is for progress, not perfection here. So, the message here is simple. Trust what you've built and then get the hell out of the way. But once you've stepped back, what are you going to do with all of this extra time? Because if you just fill it with more of the same, you've missed the whole point of everything. So, I've put together this video here on exactly what you should be focusing on and why. I'll link it below and I'll see you over there.