What problem are you trying to solve?

Managers are bred to be problem-solvers. The problem with that, though, is that they often get confused as to what problem they're supposed to be solving.

While many (most?) managers try to solve the functional problem - which is actually staff's job - the problem that managers ought to be focusing on is this: How do I improve the problem-solving skills of my direct reports?

Solving problems for your staff versus improving the problem-solving skills of your direct reports. See the difference? It's substantive.

Yet I suspect that solving problems for your staff is a lot more comfortable for you. After all, you are a professional problem-solver - it's what probably got you promoted in the first place. Yet if you continue to solve problems for your staff you're actually training them how NOT solve problems themselves ... Which only increases the amount of work you have to do AND demoralizes your direct reports in the process.

The choice, of course, is yours, but if you feel you're overworked and/or your staff is under-performing, the underlying problem might be that you're focusing on the wrong things.

Here's the litmus: When faced with a new problem, ask yourself, "What problem am I trying to solve here?" If your answer has anything to do with the function issue (and little to do with how you can improve the problem-solving skills of your direct reports) then chances are good that you are working on the wrong thing.