The point of discussing endgames, chess moves, micro-managing and the like was to help highlight the signs/symptoms of when we're stuck in a losing endgame, and what sorts of things to consider to break out of it.
Obviously we can't go back in time and fix something the past, but we can draw a map for the present and future.
For example, if you're a team lead and feel stuck between doing a task yourself or failing, figure out what you need to do for the immediate situation (if you've got the time, proceed to the next step... but I understand if you don't have the time you might have to do something else just to get through it), and look at your 'unreliable' subordinates. Go ahead and assign them something, just make sure you have a plan to monitor their progress and ensure it gets done. Specifics are, as always, situation dependent. It can be anything from telling them "send me a quick e-mail telling me where you're at before you go home at night" to "write a report" or "brief me at our weekly staff meeting". Do your best to put the burden of keeping you informed on the one who knows the situation best (i.e. the person assigned to the task) and make sure you've got time to fix things if they fall behind.
You're not off the hook, of course. Any time you give an assignment like that, you have to be prepared to notice if/when they don't follow through. If you say "send me a quick update" and they forget to do so, you have to say something. Saying something shows you're paying attention, and since most people try to keep the boss happy they'll probably try harder to remember (depending on the specific people involved.) If, however, they don't send the update you requested and you fail to say something, you've shown that they can blow you off with no consequences.
Be prepared to document if needed, because by the end of this they will either be a productive member of your team or you'll have documentation showing that they're not.
You should have those sorts of thoughts any time you feel stuck with unpalatable choices, really. Take the soccer cheating scenario - if you feel you have to either cheat or lose, consider what you can do to clean up the sport. Maybe try to have a meeting discussing the problem, and asking everyone (without pointing fingers) to commit to playing a clean game. The specifics will depend on the exact situation, the people involved, etc... so don't take this as a real suggestion.
The point is to consider your options, not to let your choices be constrained to unpalatable options, and if you can't fix it immediately, start working on a long-term plan to change your future choices.
And, for the purposes of these posts, recognize when you need to pull back a bit and look for these sorts of options.
Obviously we can't go back in time and fix something the past, but we can draw a map for the present and future.
For example, if you're a team lead and feel stuck between doing a task yourself or failing, figure out what you need to do for the immediate situation (if you've got the time, proceed to the next step... but I understand if you don't have the time you might have to do something else just to get through it), and look at your 'unreliable' subordinates. Go ahead and assign them something, just make sure you have a plan to monitor their progress and ensure it gets done. Specifics are, as always, situation dependent. It can be anything from telling them "send me a quick e-mail telling me where you're at before you go home at night" to "write a report" or "brief me at our weekly staff meeting". Do your best to put the burden of keeping you informed on the one who knows the situation best (i.e. the person assigned to the task) and make sure you've got time to fix things if they fall behind.
You're not off the hook, of course. Any time you give an assignment like that, you have to be prepared to notice if/when they don't follow through. If you say "send me a quick update" and they forget to do so, you have to say something. Saying something shows you're paying attention, and since most people try to keep the boss happy they'll probably try harder to remember (depending on the specific people involved.) If, however, they don't send the update you requested and you fail to say something, you've shown that they can blow you off with no consequences.
Be prepared to document if needed, because by the end of this they will either be a productive member of your team or you'll have documentation showing that they're not.
You should have those sorts of thoughts any time you feel stuck with unpalatable choices, really. Take the soccer cheating scenario - if you feel you have to either cheat or lose, consider what you can do to clean up the sport. Maybe try to have a meeting discussing the problem, and asking everyone (without pointing fingers) to commit to playing a clean game. The specifics will depend on the exact situation, the people involved, etc... so don't take this as a real suggestion.
The point is to consider your options, not to let your choices be constrained to unpalatable options, and if you can't fix it immediately, start working on a long-term plan to change your future choices.
And, for the purposes of these posts, recognize when you need to pull back a bit and look for these sorts of options.
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