As a leader, one of the most important resources you can give your employees is your time. Not only is it the most important but also the most precious and sometimes the hardest to come by. For that reason and the sake of your employees you should jealously guard your precious time resources.
That’s often easier said than done as other people, intentionally or just by habit, supplement their own time deficiency by taking some of yours. If you’re not careful with how you respond to questions and opportunities you could unwittingly give up something you can’t afford to lose, your time. Consequently, when you take on someone else’s responsibility you take away from your ability to perform yours. You also deny them the opportunity to grow and experience the intrinsic satisfaction of completing the task themselves.
The attached article on delegation and time management is a classic from 1974 but it’s as relevant today as it was then. It was published by Harvard Business Review and has been one of HBR’s two best-selling reprints ever. Take a moment to read it. It reads easy and I think you’ll find it interesting. As you do, ask yourself what habits you practice that put the monkey on your back and how it’s hurting your ability to give your employees what they need most from you – your discretionary time.
Management Time – Who’s Got the Monkey?
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