Student Question: Master Chi, I was recently promoted to supervisor and am now responsible for my team’s sales. At the beginning, I devoted most of my time and energy to maintaining my own numbers. It wasn’t long before I realized this approach to leading a team had serious problems — subordinates were cutting corners on the tasks I assigned, and I couldn’t find the balance between my own performance and managing the people below me. As a result, my personal numbers dropped sharply and my income took a significant hit. At the same time, the team’s performance didn’t improve much either. I’ve fallen into a real dilemma.
On top of that, there’s one employee who has a close personal relationship with one of my leaders. Instead of coming to me directly, this person reports straight to my superior. I’d like to ask for Master Chi’s guidance.
Master Chi’s Response:
Do not bypass the chain of command in communication. If it absolutely must happen, bring everyone from all relevant levels together in the same conversation. Otherwise, frontline employees’ sense of what matters — and who to answer to — will become distorted.
A subordinate’s work must be completed by that subordinate. Even if they fall short of your standards, guide them — then step back and let them finish it on their own. The moment you step in and do it for them, it becomes your work.
Everyone’s time and capacity is finite. Acknowledge that you cannot do everything. Kill off the unimportant tasks so you can concentrate on what truly matters. This applies equally to subordinates and to managers.
When someone keeps stalling and claims there’s no progress, require them to submit a formal no-progress report. The embarrassment will push them to produce results.
A manager’s role is not to do the work — it is to delegate authority and ask guiding questions that draw out thinking. If you can’t do that, you are not managing; you are simply a manager who makes all the decisions and does all the thinking yourself.
In short: management means refusing to overstep and do everything yourself. Have the resolve to let your people complete their work independently. Your role is to monitor and keep pushing. If guilt or anxiety creeps in, work through it yourself — the company is paying everyone to fulfill their own responsibilities.