Sometimes, we work with someone who is not engaged enough. Often, these people have a narrow set of abilities but a job with far reaching responsibilities… think the salesman who gets promoted to sales manager, or the boss who you need a quick response from who is sitting on a pile of 400 emails to work through. I’m going to address this specifically as a management type because the hands-off individual is not a problem, you just work around them.
How to recognize Hands-Off Managers
- They may be (overly) detailed in one particular area
- They have difficulty articulating others’ strengths and weaknesses
- They generally talk about things and activities… but not people
- They give little feedback.
- They hold few meetings.
- They can be uncomfortable talking about/engaging in management… preferring to focus on the work itself.
How to work with Hands-Off Managers
- Keep descriptions and updates short and sweet.
- When presenting new ideas, present both the idea and how you will execute it with minimal work on their part.
- Handle their administrative responsibilities for them.
- Highlight benefits that relate to efficiencies rather than benefits related to people.
- Be prepared to discuss details that fall within their realm of technical knowledge.
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