Why women managers need to focus on the bigger picture and not be overwhelmed by the finer details
My direct report sends me an attachment with the message “Here is the PowerPoint slides I’ve prepared for the business plan. Please review and let me know your thoughts.”
“Ok” I thought to myself, and in true fashion of getting tasks out of my checklist. I promptly open the presentation slides and mouse over the slides and a strong sense of frustration overcome me… All I see are red wriggly underlines, distorted page numbers on different slides, and inconsistent bullet points.
Now what happens across the next thirty minutes, I’m sure you can guess. I painstakingly format the slides with the appropriate bullets and indentation. I rephrase the poor language and correct all the grammatical errors. Viola! The presentation is ready to go! Or so I think.
The good half an hour I have just spent, has undoubtedly made the presentation prettier but it has certainly not made its content stronger. The time I had spent (or wasted) could have been put to better use if I, as a manager, had focus on the content rather than the appearance. Furthermore, from my subordinates point of view, I’ve now become the micro-manager who has only commented on the aesthetics of the presentation when he was expecting more substantial advice.
This is not to say that presentation formatting is not important – first impression still counts. Sloppiness is definitely not a sign of professionalism. What should I have done in this case? Focus on the big picture, review the content and provide constructive feedback. Inform and leave your subordinate to handle the smaller piece. This is not your job as a manager.
Remember you are assessed not by your choice of fonts, nor the precision of your English – but your vision and strategy for your team, and the company.
