When Should Managers Work on Ad Hoc Requests?

Managers should look up and out, but last week I was deep in the weeds.

I usually have 4 direct reports, but last week:

• One analyst was winding down in prep for a trip overseas.
• One analyst was on PTO for the week.
• One analyst moved to another team.
• One analyst was working as usual.

PLUS, we had some urgent requests from stakeholders.

I couldn't sit back, navel gaze, and expect work to get done.

I needed to be the one working on those requests.

But getting into the weeds too often limits my effectiveness as a manager.

So the question is:

When does it make sense to get in the weeds?

When to get in the weeds

This is when you need to get your hands dirty:

• The team is short staffed. If team members are on PTO, you recently lost a resource, or you simply have a small team, someone has to pick up the work. Sure, some work can be deprioritized until the team has more bandwidth, but some things cannot wait. If there's an urgent request, drop other work and get it done. When the dust clears, give small tasks back to the team.
• When team standards are slipping. New code introduces errors. Reports are broken. Bugs are popping up more frequently. Simple mistake are more common. Your team standards are not being followed and it needs to be corrected. Get into the weeds to do thorough reviews and provide specific coaching to the team. Do work yourself to the highest standards so the team sees what's expected, then hold them to that expectation.
• When a direct report is underperforming. You need to micromanage. It's the only way to get an under-performer back to acceptable performance. Go through their work with a fine-tooth comb, have frequent working sessions, and constantly provide feedback. You won't have time for much else, but you don't have time to have a chronic under-performer on the team.

When to not get in the weeds

This is when you need to stop and raise your head above the fog:

• When there are no urgent requests. If there are no fires, spend time on work only you can do.
• When a team member can do a task 80% as good as you. If their solution is 80% as good as yours, let them do it. They will learn, grow, and their solution may turn out better than yours.
• When the team consistently adheres to standards. You can delegate without risk of low quality, missed deadlines, or errors.
• When there are high priority, urgent requests. If the team has bandwidth, let them feel the burn of urgent requests. They will develop a thick skin and will be able to handle difficult tasks in the future, opening your time for other important work.

Implementation

Take a look at all the items on your plate and make a list.

Next to each task, decide if it's worth getting into the weeds or not.

If your decision is to get into the weeds, right down the reason. If you can't come up with a good reason, delegate it.

Strategically managing ad hoc requests is a skill of an effective leader.

And you're an effective leader, right?