“Sometimes, as managers, we only share with our direct reports the information we think they need to get their job done. That’s a big mistake”
– Gonto, contemporary unthinker.
Sometimes, as managers, we only share with our direct reports the information we think they need to get their job done. We do that because we think that’s going to make them more productive and focused.
That’s a big mistake.
If we withhold information, 1 of 2 things might happen:
- We don’t delegate and end up doing things we shouldn’t be doing because “my direct report doesn’t know enough”. We don’t realize that we’re making them not know enough and adding us more work that we could use for doing other things that we should be doing.
- We’re making it harder for our direct reports to talk to other people directly to get shit done, and in turn, make them always come to us to know who to go to.
In general, we do this because unconsciously we get an adrenaline rush by being heroes and saving the day. “I’m the only one who can do this”
One phrase from Christian (our VPoE at Auth0) that I love is We're hero fire fighters by day, and arsonists by night.