Don't Let Your Manager Do Your Work

If your manager is doing work that you can do, you're failing.

Your manager should be working at the next level. They should work on strategy that you don't have the capacity for. They should have critical conversations with other leaders. They should set the vision for the team.

They can't do these things if they are doing menial work, i.e. your work.

Pay close attention to the projects your boss is working on. The Slack messages she sends. The meetings she runs. The status updates she's giving. Analyze which of these activities are worth her time. Chances are, few of them are value-added.

This is good news for you (and for your boss).

Proactively take work off your manager's plate. Offer to run that meeting. Put together the report before she has time to think about it. Follow-up on a recent issue and give her an update. Reprioritize work to ensure the team is working on the most important things.

You are increasing the capability of yourself AND your boss.

No longer are you only improving individually, you're helping the higher level improve.

What else could be better?