For a lot of managers, a typical day goes by solving a lot of other people’s problems. These include both technical deficiencies as well as collaboration issues. The really good managers though create an environment where escalating the problem to them is an exception, and not the norm. In order to be such an effective manager who allows the team to sort out problems themselves, each one needs to ask oneself some questions periodically. First of all, they must ask whose problem is the one concerned and thus who must solve the same. Another dilemma is what is more important, solving a problem the moment it arises, or doing it later but the right way. Each manager has a minimum responsibility at such situations to be exercised, in either of the approaches followed. An example could be cited of a case where an executive does not have proper email drafting abilities but needs to write to a senior manager in a different team. At such times, the manager needs to step in and provide due corporate training on formal writing skills. The problems presented to the manager must be approached from three different angles. One could be a content problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Another is a pattern and this is more dangerous as the same conflicts seems to be repeating themselves. The third such would be a relationship issue where matters are permanently fractured between two parties and close attention is needed. A policy followed at It giant AT & T is that matters are escalated only when the entire team agrees to do so. This encourages the organization wide concept of peer accountability.

Source:https://hbr.org/2017/07/when-to-solve-your-teams-problems-and-when-to-let-them-sort-it-out?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert&referral=00563&spMailingID=17697807&spUserID=OTY0OTMwNTk5NwS2&spJobID=1061524157&spReportId=MTA2MTUyNDE1NwS2

Uploaded Date:28 July 2017