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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Honest answer: you look at the mean.

I'm exceptionally fast and good at pulling together presentations - people often crack jokes during meetings that "it'll probably be done before we leave the room since xXXxX is here". I'm fast and good at it because I cut my teeth in consulting whereas most of my peers never set foot outside this firm. I recognize that, so when I task my team with stuff I look at how other managers task and expect results.

The non performers are easy to spot: do they routinely miss deadlines? Is feedback ignored? Is there work full of mathematical or other errors that should have been caught? Do they not communicate issues? Are you left surprised in meetings for things they should have told you about? If you've coached them, do you see progress?

Part of being a high performer is also learning to let go: it's tempting to do it all when you know it'll take you half the time of someone on your team. The problem is that leads to no leverage - and actually makes you look like a worse manager because you can't effectively delegate and manage. Learn that people will do some things better - or worse - or differently - and all those things are Ok. 
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You cannot rise up to senior management with big teams if you have to be able to do everybody's job.[/quote]

How have you gotten away from this? [/quote]

Don't laugh but three rules I now follow

1) answer no email for 24 hours unless is genuinely pressing
Why: email generates email. Often, if you hold back you'll find problems tend to be solved without your involvement. Force yourself to wait before jumping in.

2) if there's someone on my team or another team who can do it, ask them to. Ask yourself what happens if no one does this, or if it takes 24 more hours. If the answer to those questions aren't scary, then make that happen. Begin to think of extended teams - not just your directs. 
Why: obvious but this really forces the issue

3) with your newfound free time, make offers on stuff you want to do. But, always make offers up or lateral - never down (you need to build bridges with your peers not with their directs).
Why: engenders loyalty, it's fun, when you come knocking for help on some other team, they'll do it for you or help you find someone who can.

Truthfully, for me, #1 was a game changer. I used to fancy myself the problem solver and I'd jump in every time. 
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