I’ve been promoted and now manage several teams I don’t feel as in control as I used to
I would say that rather than feeling as though you have to know all the detail of what’s happening in all your teams, you could rely more on your team leaders. It’s fairly common for managers to feel they have to know every little thing that’s happening in their areas, but this can be the start of a terrible slide down the slippery slope of micro-managing – where you can end up feeling overwhelmed by the detail and your team leaders can feel completely disempowered. You’d all be better off if you delegate effectively and trust your people to do their own jobs.
Establish a regular meeting where you ask your team leaders the following question: “From your unique vantage point in the company, what have you noticed that could hurt the company or that we could do better, and what do you think we should do about it?”
This will not only give you valuable information, it will demonstrate that you have the self-confidence to ask for it. It will show your team that you trust them and think they’re smart – imagine how great you’d feel if your boss asked you this question!
You won’t be able to solve every issue your team raises, but you might be able to solve some. You may also decide some of them are crucial enough to elevate to the next level – thereby increasing your own value to the company. If you do this, be sure to share credit where credit is due; it’s good management practice and should help increase your team leaders’ loyalty to you. It’s also just good karma – in business, as in life, what goes around comes around.