Managers make three mistakes when they try to run businesses. They do too much, they don't trust their people and they don't have enough skills. Here we explore an easy 3-step process to get your business back on track and get a life.

Managers work in increasingly challenging circumstances and workload seems to ever increase. There are opportunities to use the capabilities of each and every one of those who work with them. Yet many managers struggle on, carrying the burden until finally, that straw comes along which breaks the camel's (aka manager's) back.

So what happens? Well, managers choose not to give tasks away, for several reasons.

• The manager may feel obliged to do most of the work - after all, that's what he believes he's getting paid for.

  There is a knowledge gap.
  
  

• He may not wish to let go of some workload because his role would then be 'let go', so makes himself look very busy and thus indispensable.

  There is a confidence gap.
  
  

• The manager doesn't have the skills to work closely in collaboration with his people and gradually allow them the trust to get on with it and get it right.

  There is a skills gap.

Learning that management is about having a clear 'Whats' about the organisations vision and goals and then enabling individual and team capacity to come up with creative and delivering 'Hows', is hard for some managers. They are the ones who complain that there is too much to do; that senior management demands are unreasonable. Giving work up is vital. There is now no knowledge gap.

Management is about letting go of some of the stuff to be done, trusting your people, once given clear criteria and goals and getting on with the true role, developing others, designing growth possibilities and being pro-active and not a fire-fighter. Slowly, they get it more and more right. Their results are better and better. There is now no confidence gap.

Providing all the training sessions in the world, won't make a jot of difference if the manager is not ready for learning and development. Sometimes, hand-holding works, with the support of a mentor or an off-line coach. They learn in a safe place and get better. There now no skills gap.

Gradually, the knowledge, confidence and skills combine to generate a better manager, team and business performance. Organizations can take the lead in helping managers get this right. It is worth it.