1. Team Leader Training Days Booked Solid
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2. Days Booked Solid
Being a conscientiousness and hard-working TL, Mike scheduled out nearly every minute of every day in order to maximize his productivity. Despite this, he seemed to be constantly putting out fires. Very often his chief calls him in to help with what Mike considers to be his chief’s work, pulling him away from his planned actions. Few of his days go as he had planned them and as a result, he is incredibly backed up on his own research projects. It seems as though every time a short suspense comes in, his research package gets pushed to the back burner.

3. Question & Answer Session
Q1. How should Mike handle the situation in the short term and also in the long term?

4. Lessons Learned, Slide 1 of 2
For starters, Mike needs to adjust how he allocates his day. He should understand that supporting the chief is part of his job and by doing so he is developing new skills. One potential solution is to only book 6-7 hours of his time each day, reserving the remaining 1-2 hours for “emergencies” such as short suspenses or other issues that are likely to come up.
He also needs to delegate more work to subordinates. He should trust his team and develop them into reliable partners in the research process. By slowly integrating his team members more fully into his work, he builds their skill set and prepares them for leadership roles of their own. This will require an investment of time. Delegation is more than just giving tasks away. It requires the team leader to monitor team members’ progress and provide feedback.

5. Lessons Learned, Slide 2 of 2
Learn to manage your time for long-term success.
Balance what will pay off in the short run (e.g., doing the work yourself) with what will provide long-term benefits (e.g., a well-developed team that can take on increasing levels of responsibility).
Team Leaders need to plan for the unexpected as well as the expected and budget time for unanticipated requests.
Effectively utilize, manage, and build up the human resources available to you. Invest time in developing subordinates; it will pay off. Delegate strategically, considering researchers’ individual strengths and developmental needs. Delegate important tasks, not just things you don’t have time to do.
Trust subordinates to accomplish the tasks you assign to them, while also monitoring their progress and providing feedback to develop their skills.
Themes
Developing Subordinates; Planning and Organizing