For the micromanagers

Dear Economist...
Published: July 13 2007 09:04 Last updated: July 13 2007 09:04

Dear Economist,

My diary is back-to-back meetings from 9am to 6pm almost every day. These are not meetings I can avoid, and often I am double and triple booked. As well as this, I have real work to do. Having delegated everything I can to my team, I still find it difficult to leave the office before 8pm most days. This has gone on long enough! What should I do to get back control of my diary?
PM, via e-mail

Dear PM,

Your diary displays communist tendencies. Your delight in Stakhanovite posing shows the old communist confusion between input and output. This reached an extreme in Mao’s great leap forward, where kitchen utensils were melted down in order to produce...more kitchen utensils.

You are also making the classic central-planner’s error, trying to run a team without giving anybody else real decision-making authority. You say you are delegating all you can, but are evidently not doing it. And with you booked to attend more meetings than there are hours in the day, I am willing to bet your subordinates know a lot more about what needs to be done than you do.

You simply need to introduce the price system into your little politburo. Charge by the hour, as do lawyers or psychiatrists. Better, auction off spaces in your diary to the highest bidder. The bidders could include clients, superiors, or subordinates. If they want your attention, they’ll have to find the cash.

If the total sum raised exceeds your salary, many congratulations! You will have justified your existence and at the same time cut out all those time-wasting, low-value activities. However, I fear that you may find less demand for your unique talents than you anticipate. Stand ready to offer a discount.

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